The Young and the Restless Commentary

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Confession is good for the soul...:
…except for Victor Newman who was voted “Most Soulless” by a jury of his peers. Sharon tried to confess her indiscretion with Austin to Nick, but N... Read the column now...

Born onscreen December 31, 1988
Returned from boarding school in June 1994 said to be 16 years old
Threw an 18th birthday party for Sharon in September 1994, although she was actually 19, and Nick was 18
Comment made about his trust fund 3/2008 confirmed he was 30 years old
Comment made about his trust fund 9/2008 confirmed he was 35 years old
His father wished him "Happy Birthday" on October 11, 2012

Occupation

Owner of The Underground night club
Former executive at Newman Enterprises
Former owner/editor of Restless Style Magazine/Webzine
Former COO of Newman Enterprises
Former partner with Phyllis in Restless Style magazine/webzine
Former Co-CEO of Newman Enterprises
Newman Enterprises board member
Former co-owner with Sharon of the Crimson Lights Coffee House chain
Graduate of Genoa City University, president of his fraternity
Attended Mount Bell Academy, Swiss boarding school

Found guilty and went to prison for attempted murder of Matt Clark; exonerated when Amy Wilson confessed

Framed by Matt Clark (Carter Mills) and Larry Warton for selling drugs, and later the murder of Matt; exonerated by testimony of Tricia McNeil and Larry Warton

Arrested for the murder of Adam Newman; charges dropped

Arrested for the murder of Richard Hightower; charges dropped

Arrested for obstruction of justice in the Diane Jenkins murder case; detained in jail and released later that day; charges were dropped a few days later

Brief Character History

Nicholas was conceived during a night of passion between Victor and Nikki Newman while they were separated and headed toward divorce. Nikki went out of town to have her baby who was born on New Years Eve, 1988.

Nick grew up torn between two father figures he loved, his real father Victor and his stepfather Jack Abbott with whom he lived in early childhood. As a boy, Nick enjoyed soccer and Little League baseball. When he was 10, Nikki sent him to boarding school in Switzerland.

Nick returned as a 16 year old with raging hormones. He was dating Amy Wilson, a girl Nikki liked, who was willing to do anything including sleep with Nick to get him. Then he was introduced to Amy's best friend Sharon Collins, a sweet girl who worked a part time job to help her single paraplegic mother make ends meet. Nick fell for Sharon at first site but since she was dating Matt Clark, he stayed with Amy. Nick ended up winning Sharon from Matt, who hated Nick. Nick and Matt got into a fight, Matt kicked Nick's butt, and Victor swore he would teach his son to box. To get even, Matt raped Sharon. Sharon told no one but a therapist, who tried to help her deal with it.

Nikki objected strongly to Sharon, believing her a gold-digger. Mother and son fought, and Nick moved in with his father. Unlike Nikki, Victor adored Sharon and even paid for an operation for her mother which she could not afford. When Sharon and Nick beat out Amy and Matt as queen and king of the high school senior Polynesian dance, Matt took revenge. He told Nick that his virginal Sharon had given up a baby for adoption when she was 16. Nick didn't believe him and they got into a bad fist fight, and both were injured. Sharon admitted to Nick that it was all true, and Nick understood eventually.

Sharon and Nick were about to get married when Sharon admitted that Matt had raped her. Nick raced to Matt's apartment only to find him on the floor in a pool of blood. The police arrested Nick, who thought Sharon did it. When Matt came to, he said Nick was the one who shot him. Nick was found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Sharon and the Newman family were devastated. Victor tracked down Amy who was suffering from a serious trauma. He was convinced it was caused by something that happened the night Matt was shot. Upon seeing Matt, Amy remembered she had shot him after he raped her. Matt fled, Nick was released from prison, and Sharon and Nick married in a small ceremony as a disapproving Nikki looked on.

Not long after they married Sharon "accidentally" got pregnant. Nick wanted to wait and tried to talk her into an abortion - but Sharon couldn't do it.. Months later Sharon fell on the ice and went into early labor. When it appeared that their newborn baby Noah was going to die, Sharon's best friend Grace Turner who was now in Genoa City too and Grace's boyfriend Tony Viscardi tracked down Sharon's first child Cassie to help Sharon ease the pain of her loss. They convinced her adoptive Grandmother Millie to allow them to return Cassie, now 5 years old, to Genoa City to be united with her natural mother. But Noah lived, so Grace decided to keep Cassie until the "time was right" to tell Sharon. Grace fell in love with the engaging child, and kept the child's true identity to herself for over a year.

One night Nick was out partying with friends while Sharon stayed home ill. Grace was helping out by spending the night in the nursery, but actually plotting to steal Nick. Nick came home drunk and made love to a willing Grace, thinking she was his wife. The next morning when he realized his error he panicked and swore Grace to secrecy. (Sharon still does not know about this.)

When Cassie's true identity came out, Nick had a hard time accepting her. Sharon moved out, but their love for one another brought them back together and Nick began to love Cassie as his own. Cassie went to live with Sharon, Nick, and Noah.

Grace used their secret to get a job as Nick's assistant at Newman, and renewed her attempts to steal Nick from Sharon. Sharon was going with Nick on a business trip, but when Noah fell sick, Grace went instead. Nick was angry with Sharon and allowed Grace to seduce him. Sharon showed up the next morning to surprise him, but was stunned and to hear outside the door Grace telling Nick that their lovemaking was incredible. Sharon moved out with the kids and would not forgive him for his infidelity.

Then Cassie's adoptive mother, Alice Johnson, re-appeared and hired lawyer Michael Baldwin to fight for the return of "her daughter." Sharon decided to take back the repentant Nick. Although Alice was about to win custody, Sharon and Nick were able to convince the jobless and flighty Alice that Cassie would be better off with them. Alice gave up her parental rights and Sharon was awarded custody of Cassie. After a waiting period, Cassie legally became a Newman when Nick adopted her. But Grace felt betrayed when Michael won the custody case for Alice despite her efforts. When Victor found out that Grace had come between his son and his wife, he arranged for a job for her at a Newman subsidiary in New York City.

Nick and Sharon bought Crimson Lights Coffee House, the scene of their courtship, to keep it from going out of business and so they would have something to work on together. They later opened a second one in Milwaukee, and had plans for a third. Victor hated the idea because it would take him away from Newman Enterprises. But Nick managed to handle both, as well as being a loving husband and father. So Victor came around to accepting it, admiring him for not neglecting his family in the process.

In 2000 the Newman's had a scare when Cassie tested positive for tuberculosis, but it turned out be inactive and was cured by antibiotics.

Matt Clark returned to town as Carter Mills, disguised by plastic surgery, and worked at Crimson Lights. He teamed up with Nick's old cellmate Larry "Wartman" Warton, both bent on revenge, plus Matt wanted Sharon for himself. Carter date rape drugged Tricia McNeil into sleeping with him, and used her to help set up Nick and put him in jail for selling drugs. Carter became a trusted employee whom they even considered as manager of their next franchise, and Sharon's confidant while Nick was in jail. One evening Carter was invited to dinner at their home, so he arranged for Nick to be very late. While waiting for Nick to arrive, Carter put a date rape drug in Sharon's margarita. Nick arrived just in time as Carter was about to rape the semi-conscious Sharon. Thinking she had drunk too much, Nick sent Carter home and helped Sharon to bed. Weeks later Tricia caught Carter attempting to rape Sharon at a cabin in the woods where he lured her, but Victor arrived and sent him running. Tricia picked Carter up and drove off a cliff expecting to kill them both. She survived with cuts and bruises, but the evil Carter/Matt had severe injuries and was expected to die. Carter deliberately pulled out his breathing tube, committing suicide to make Nick look like a murderer. With his dying words, he viciously told Nick that he had raped Sharon on "margarita night." But Nick was exonerated by the testimony of Tricia and Larry Warton.

Nick, finally out of jail and without the threat of Matt, lavishly romanced Sharon to help her get used to normal life again. Months later Sharon realized she was pregnant. Both knew that if Matt had told the truth, the baby could be his. Nick demanded a paternity test, but Sharon decided the risk before birth was too great, so was willing to trust that it was Nick's and have her baby no matter what. During a fight about this, Nick knocked over a chair, slammed out the door in a huff and drove off, creating a loud bang as his tire exploded against the curb at high speed. Fearful for Nick, Sharon ran for the door, tripped over the chair, and landed on her stomach. Her baby girl was delivered prematurely and later died. A paternity test showed the baby was indeed Nick's, so the couple split up when Sharon was unable to forgive him for more or less killing their unborn child due to his attitude.

Diego Guittierez seemed to be in the right place at the right time whenever Sharon needed a friend. Time after time, when Sharon was in crisis, Diego was there for her, but his intentions were always those of a friend. Just as there appeared to be hope that Nick and Sharon would get back together, Sharon caught Nick kissing another woman in the office at the coffee house and turned to Diego, but he rebuffed her several times. But one time too many, and Diego succumbed and made love with a needy Sharon who was jumping to conclusions that Nick was having an affair with Grace who she happened to see passing through town. Instead, Nick whisked her away on a second honeymoon, sure that once they were alone they would reconcile. Reconcile they did, but the guilty Sharon had a hard time enjoying herself.

Victoria, suspicious of the relationship between Diego and Sharon, feigned interest in Diego. But she fell for him in spite of her intentions, and they began an affair. One day, just as they were declaring their love, Sharon was admitting her dalliance with Diego to Nick. Nick took it very badly, beat up Diego, then called up Grace and let her sooth his bruised ego in bed. Victoria found out and broke up with Diego. All the Newmans found out and took sides with Nick or Sharon as they told the kids they were separating once again. Diego explained to all that would listen that it was only one time, it meant nothing, and he was not the aggressor. No one believed him but Victoria, who forgave him. Unfortunately this meant she had to go against her family's wishes to be with the man she loved. She moved out of the ranch, and she and Diego were temporarily living together in a hotel. Nick disowned her, Victor tried to pay off Diego while comforting Sharon, and Nikki tried to get everyone to give them some space when she wasn't berating Sharon for her foolishness. But two thugs beat up Diego, took the $100,000 Victor gave him, and Diego was later found and taken to the hospital as a John Doe. Victoria tracked him down. Although things didn't look good, as Diego was in serious condition, he recovered. Victoria was looking forward to buying a condo together, but Diego was more interested in revenge against the guys who beat him up. He arranged, with the help of Larry, to coerce Victor into setting them up. The plot worked for the most part, and the thugs were arrested. Victoria decided she didn't like the vengeful man Diego had become and broke it off. Diego hit the road again for parts unknown.

After much soul-searching Nick decided to give his marriage another chance. Bringing flowers and a present for Sharon, he paused at the window of their home to see Sharon kissing Nick's father Victor. Furious, Nick called off any idea of reconciliation. When confronted, Victor took the blame, although the mixed up Sharon was once again coming onto any man who was nice to her. Sharon decided her life was a mess and left town. Cassie felt betrayed and angry with her parents after Nick brushed her off, being more interested in berating Victor than comforting his daughter. She wandered off and fell through the ice on the Ranch pond. Nick finally realized she was missing a long time later, jumped into the pond and rescued Cassie. She was Care-flighted to the hospital and was in a coma for days. Meanwhile in the waiting room, Victor confessed to Nikki that he was caught by Nick kissing Sharon. Slap! "How COULD you?" Cassie eventually recovered, Nikki went to war with Sharon, but forgave Victor. Nick made up with Sharon, though still had not forgiven Victor. Sharon came home with a new resolve to not be trod on by any Newman again. But Cassie had not forgiven Sharon for abandoning her. Suddenly Cassie's father Frank Barritt came to town and began trying to see her. Cassie wanted to know who he was, but her parents wouldn't tell.

Several months later, the Cosmetic Wars began, and tensions were high as nearly everyone's mate was the enemy. Victor was CEO of Newman and wife Nikki worked for Jabot. Jack was CEO of Jabot and wife Phyllis worked for Newman. Neil worked for Newman and then-fiancé Dru worked for Jabot. Not to mention Victoria and Nick whose parents were on opposite sides. Plus Victoria was resentful that Victor passed her over and mentored Nick to take over Newman one day, even though Nick was unable to forgive him for being too close with his wife Sharon. Newman Enterprises outbid Jabot to buy out Satine Cosmetics for Women of Color due to inside information that Dru let slip to Neil. Jabot decided to resurrect a similar shelved project of Ashley's called Tuvia to compete. Payback was had when Dru found out that Newman was trying to woo Satine creator, Damon Porter, as their chemist for the newly named Safra line. Dru stole him away to work for Jabot during Ashley's maternity leave. Jabot was still hurting financially, but saw Tuvia as their savior, depending on their reputation and fine product to put them back in the black. But Victor could not let Jabot win the war, so blackmailed Michael Baldwin into paying off large retailers to give them the prime shelf space normally held by Jabot.

With both product's rollout only a day away, Victor felt the need to find very pregnant Ashley where she was nesting at a resort just days away from delivery, to tell her not to worry - which of course made her worry all the more. The next day Safra was selling like hotcakes and finished a close second to Tuvia. The Abbotts were shocked, the Newmans jubilant. Nick smelled a rat. Ashley knew Victor pulled a fast one. She decided to drive to Genoa City to convince him to stop whatever he was doing to Jabot. Ashley's SUV was broad-sided just outside Genoa City, and Jack and Brad were on the scene as she was cut out of her SUV and rushed to the hospital battered and bruised. As Brad held the hand of the unconscious Ashley, the fetal heart monitor stopped. Ash was rushed into surgery, but the baby, named Robert after John's father, died. Nearly everyone blamed Victor Newman. John Abbott even went out to the ranch and punched Victor in the face. When Ash was told, she blamed herself - especially after Olivia delivered the news that Ash can have no more children. When Victor came to see Ash, she told him to go away! Brad went gunning for Victor to even the score. Meanwhile Ashley had another mental breakdown, as she happily showed people her newborn son which was nothing but a baby blanket, and refused to allow Brad to have a memorial service. Ashley got the help and medication she needed, and returned home.

Nick found out about Victor's dirty tricks, and turned him in to the Feds. Just afterward, Victor's brother Matt came to him with news that there father was still alive. After he'd abandoned his family when they were children, Albert had struck it rich and faked his death. But now Albert was really dying in a hospital in Toronto, and thought Victor should know. Victor was coerced into going, and insisted Nick accompany him. Albert turned out to be a nasty old man who still wanted nothing to do with his son. Victor let him know how he'd devastated him and haunted him his entire life, but that he'd become a success in spite of him, then left in tears.

Michael Baldwin and Victoria were falling for each other when Victor's illegal activities came out. She was so devastated and disappointed in her father, she left town. Victor felt Nick had betrayed him and disowned him. Nikki confronted Victor that his tricks had lost her $35 million investment in Jabot, but Victor claimed he did nothing wrong - "this is how business is done". Unlike the rest of the Abbotts, Ashley let Victor know she was ashamed of him, but held no grudges. Victor was arrested and jailed the day before Christmas and refused bail. When Ashley found out, she visited him and convinced him to quit moping, accept bail and go home to his family for Christmas. Although Michael offered to take the rap, Victor insisted he make a deal with the DA's office to hopefully save his legal career. Nikki gave an impassioned speech at Victor's commercial bribery trial and Phyllis dealt the final blow to her marriage by also testifying on Victor's behalf. Phyllis asked Nick for her job back, but he turned her down. Victor was found guilty and in a last ditch attempt to keep from going to prison, offered Jack $75 million to settle. Jack laughed in his face as it was nowhere near what they lost. Victor was sentenced to do some major community service. After sentencing John and Ashley raked Jack over the coals for not consulting them about the settlement offer. They attempted to accept the settlement, but Victor pronounced the offer was now $20 million, and they declined. Victor later gave them an offer they couldn't refuse - the $75 million if they would fire Jack. Victor was told to come up with something spectacular for his Community Service project. He found a derelict former paint factory in a seedy part of town, and financed and supervised it's renovation into the Market Street Recreation Center with the help of neighborhood volunteers and young adult children of the Genoa City wealthy.

In late 2003 Sharon was shocked realize software entrepreneur, Cameron Kirsten, had arrived in town to make a deal with Newman, and Nick was handling it. It was revealed that while she was gone all those months, she met up with Kirsten in a bar in Denver, they went up to her hotel room, and Sharon ended up having sex with him and being beaten to a pulp. Sharon had been afraid to risk her marriage by reporting it to the police, so she stayed away long enough for her bruises to heal. Cameron began taunting and threatening Sharon that he would tell Nick about "their affair" until New Years eve, when he told her to meet her at a fleabag hotel for another round or else. Sharon met him there, but refused to go through with it.

When Cameron attempted to rape her, Sharon clobbered him over the head with a champagne bottle. In a panic, she dragged the body down the back stairs and hid it behind a dumpster, and before long it was buried in snow. Cameron was declared missing, and Grace Turner arrived in Genoa City looking for him. It seems they were involved in a long-distance romance, and Grace was fraught with worry over his disappearance. Sharon had confided the events of New Years Eve to Attorney Michael Baldwin who kept advising her to go to the police. Instead, knowing the desk clerk could identify her, and because it was beginning to thaw, she moved the body. Sharon made a wrong turn, ended up at a dead end between buildings in a seedy part of town, and was surrounded by thugs who wanted to rape her. She talked them into opening the trunk for a blanket, but they got scared and fled when they saw the dead body inside.

Sharon drove off into the night and ended up at a biker bar out by the lake. On the way out after using the restroom, Sharon ran into Grace who hassled her about her appearance and her panicked state. Sharon finally had enough, and took her to the back of the car to show her why she was panicking, but the trunk was empty. Sharon made it home, but was still jumpy for days. Grace dropped by often, accusing her of killing her boyfriend. Sharon began to be haunted by the rotting body of Cameron. Then old friend Larry Warton paid her a visit bruised and beaten, just released from the hospital, asked Sharon about the body. Sharon, relieved that she wasn't imagining what happened, and gratefully, confessed the whole story. It seemed he had seen her arrive at the bar that night, popped the trunk and taken the body and hid it for her.

Sharon was relieved when Larry promised to keep mum. But the haunting kept on, and the police started asking questions. Sharon thought she was going crazy and insisted Larry show her the dead body. Larry took Sharon, accompanied by mother-in-law Nikki, whom Sharon had confided in, down into the wet, stinking, rat-infested sewer, and found the body. Although she could identify the clothes as Cameron's, the face was too decomposed to recognize. Sharon continued to be haunted by Cameron and taunted by Grace until the body was discovered. Much to everyone's shock, the body turned out to be that of Cassie's father Frank Barritt who had stopped trying to see Cassie around New Years, so Sharon became the number one suspect.

At her last haunting prior to her arrest, Cameron finally said, "Gotcha." to her, and sent her running screaming from the house. Later on after Cameron showed up at the Athletic Club, very much alive, Larry, Sharon, Michael Baldwin and Nick figured out that Grace was helping Cameron with his plot for revenge on Sharon and convinced her to help them expose him. The body was found eventually after it washed out of the sewer, and turned out to be Sharon's X-boyfriend and daughter Cassie's father Frank. Cameron had set Sharon up for Frank's murder! Luckily for Larry, when all was said and done, he was not implicated. But Cameron escaped in his private jet with Sharon held hostage. Nick stowed away in the plane and jumped Cameron. They managed to get him into a parachute, and all three bailed out of the plane. Cameron landed in a tree which broke his leg, but Nick and Sharon made him walk to civilization where they called the police and turned him over.

Their harrowing experience made it easier for Nick to forgive her this time, but it didn't take long for Sharon to get back into her life and become bored again. One night she followed Nikki to where she worked as an MC at Marilyn's Cabaret. Finding a secluded spot, Sharon was fascinated watching their best stripper Brittany (A/K/A Marilyn) perform. Sharon began fanaticizing about doing the same, but once Nikki and Nick found out, they tried to point her ambitions in another direction to save her children embarrassment. Nick helped Sharon get a job at Jabot as Spokesperson through Jack, and since Jabot was still in a bad financial situation, Nick was paying her salary under the table. Neil was disappointed when Victor named his son Nick CEO of Newman, and Neil became Chief Operating Officer and Right Hand to the CEO. Victor left town on another quest, leaving Nick in charge. A few weeks later Victor returned to find that Nick let the power go to his head, cancelled Neil's pet projects and refused Neil's advice, causing Neil to quit. Afraid his sister Victoria would return and demand her former position, Nick hired Drucilla Winters as Head of the Cosmetics Division, and Neil was rehired to mentor her. Not long afterward, Victoria returned from Italy. Nick also hired his wife Sharon away from Jabot to be Spokesperson for the Newman Cosmetic Line.

Their daughter Cassie turned 14 and began to hang out at Crimson Lights with her 16 year old friends Lily Winters and Sierra. It wasn't long before she was trying to act their age, and was caught being secretive, skipping school, and accepting a ride home with an older boy unknown to her parents, so Cassie was grounded. She had a crush on 16 year old Daniel Romalotti, but he and Lily were getting close - much to the distain of their parents who forbade them to see each other. Word was going around school about a secret party to be held in a park. All of the older crowd was going, and Cassie just had to go too - especially since Daniel said he would be there. She managed to talk Nick into un-grounding her for the evening so she could "go to a movie" her long time friend Ali. Sharon didn't go for it, but Nick persuaded her to give in.

Cassie ended up at the party to find Daniel drunk on beer trying to get over being separated from Lily. The party ended late, and everyone left. Cassie, who had not been drinking, assured her friends she had a way home, then found Daniel passed out in the back seat of his convertible. Deciding he was too drunk to get home, Cassie took his keys and started the car even though she hadn't a lesson or learner's permit. CRASH! Since both were thrown from the car, and neither remembered a thing, no one realized that Cassie had been driving. As soon as a bruised Daniel was able to leave the hospital, he was arrested and spent the night in jail. His mother Phyllis bailed him out, beside herself with the thought that the son she had lost for so many years could be taken from her again and imprisoned. Back in ICU after brain surgery, Cassie was fighting for her life. There was hope, so long as infection didn't set in. Suddenly, Cassie sits bolt upright - she remembers - SHE was driving! Daniel was in so much trouble, but she caused the accident. After attempts to tell her mother Sharon or to use the phone failed, she got out of bed, pulls out her IV, and donning her mother's trench coat, staggered out of the hospital intent on finding and telling Daniel.

After several hours of worry by her family and friends, and searching by the police and detective Paul Williams, she somehow found her way to Crimson Lights. Lily and Daniel rushed to her as she was near collapse. As the exhausted Cassie attempted to tell Daniel the truth, but all she could get out was "crash." Someone called 911, Nick arrived shortly before the paramedics, and he accompanied her back to the hospital in the ambulance. Anxiously, her family held vigil while Cassie's fever heightened and Newman financed specialists arrived too late to help. Victor, Nikki, Victoria, brother Noah, and Grandma Doris who arrived from her home in Eau Claire, sadly said their goodbyes and I love you's, and left her alone with Nick and Sharon. One last whisper in Nick's ear that it wasn't Daniel's fault, as he chokingly sang her a lullaby while Sharon hugged her, we saw flashbacks of the adorable child Cassie - the light of their (and our) lives - Cassie slipped away.

The memorial service was touching with Grace, Millie and Alice conspicuously absent. Larry was said to be out of town, and messages were left for him. Memorial speeches were given by Victor, Nikki, and Sharon. Noah placed Cassie's doll Cindy on her casket with a tear in his eye. During Nick's speech, which was more a threat against Daniel, he spotted Phyllis who had snuck in the back, spoke right at her, then marched to her afterward and demanded she leave. Jack ushered her out in embarrassment.

Sharon handed her loss, mostly just feeling responsible for letting Cassie go out that night and regretful for all the things Cassie missed out on in her life. Meanwhile Nick was angry, refused to accept any responsibility, and was out for revenge against Daniel. Nick took a leave of absence from Newman, putting Victor back in charge. Daniel was charged with vehicular manslaughter. Out on bail, he went into hiding in the Abbott playhouse with the help of Lily Winters. When he didn't show up for his arraignment, a warrant was issued for his arrest. Lily decided to drive Daniel out of town to help him escape. The day after the funeral, Larry showed up at Sharon's door with comforting words about how lucky they were to have Cassie in their lives, and reminded Sharon that he holds Cassie responsible for changing his life. He took Sharon on an exhilarating motorcycle ride to help cheer her up.

Victoria accepted the position of Acting CEO at Newman, and Nick took it amazingly well when he returned from tracking down Daniel Romalotti, the young man he held responsible for his daughter's death. He insisted on firing Phyllis, but after telling Nick off, she retorted, "You can't fire me. I quit." Although Sharon was comforted by Brad Carlton in Nick's absence, she was thrilled to welcome Nick home. Then Christine came to them asking for the clothes Cassie was wearing the night of the car accident, but Nick withheld the evidence. Nick was too caught up in rage and vengeance to worry about Newman Enterprises, his family, or the defendant's right to a fair trial, only intent on seeing Daniel PAY! Lily was out on bail, and Daniel went on trial for vehicular manslaughter where Christine and Paul failed to prove that Cassie was driving the car. But in a last minute save, Nick turned over the clothes Cassie was wearing that fateful night. The boot she was wearing matched a piece of a heel found under the accelerator, the judge determined that Cassie was driving and let Daniel go free. Lily's parents made a deal to send her away to boarding school in New Hampshire to get the DA to drop the charges against her.

While Nick was still angry over his daughter Cassie's death, Brad made plans with Sharon for her return to Newman working with him on the Beauty of Nature project. Nick and Sharon grew further apart while both were haunted by apparitions of Cassie. When Nick decided to return to Newman, Victor made him and Victoria Co-CEO's. Sharon grew closer to Brad and his daughter Abby, and was named Spokesperson for the line. They had a close call with intimacy when in Denver on a business trip, but Sharon was dedicated to working on her marriage. After his declaration of love for Sharon was rebuffed, Brad instead asked Victoria Newman to marry him and she accepted, although Brad and Ashley were not yet legally divorced. On Brad and Victoria's wedding day Sharon let Brad know she was about to be available for him, but was rebuffed and Brad married Victoria, much to her father Victor's dismay. Weeks later, Brad and Sharon had a one-night-stand but have not been found out. Brad rebuffed Sharon's advances but were still confidants.

Meanwhile, Nick and Phyllis Summers became attracted to each other, and began a steamy affair. Sharon found out, she and Nick separated. Sharon went to Brad for comfort, and they ended up having sex on a business trip to NYC. But after Daniel walked in finding his mother and Nick half-naked on the couch, the couple decided to call off their affair. After Nick had a vision where Cassie showed him how he imagined life would be had she not died (including a new baby girl named Faith), Nick showed up at home, and Sharon took him back. Nick and Phyllis continued to be thrown together by business, and they ended up stranded in New Mexico. They stopped at a Pepe's Roadhouse, danced and had a great time. The attraction was so great but they resisted and spent the night separately. Then Phyllis turned up pregnant, and broke it to Nick that it might also be Jack's, so Nick took a paternity test. When he received the test results he disappeared to think about his options. He returned a few days later, informed Phyllis that he was the father, but that he intended to stay with his family. Phyllis was disappointed, but insisted she could raise their child alone. Jack was disappointed too since he'd always hoped for a reconciliation with Phyllis. Jack began an affair with Carmen Mesta.

Nick told Sharon the pregnancy news. She decided she didn't want Nick to stay out of obligation, ran out of the office screaming divorce and ended up in the parking garage pounding the steering wheel of her SUV. Brad discovered her there, and his consoling turned to heavy making out. Sharon saw Nick watching them, but continued on with Brad. Nick decided to tell Victoria that he caught her husband making out with Sharon, but Brad beat him to the punch and confessed that they'd shared a kiss - but that his heart belonged to Victoria. Victoria seemed to accept that, but secretly consulted a lawyer about how to get Brad's Newman stock if the marriage should end. Nick and Sharon told Noah about the divorce and Nick left to move into the Newman Executive Suite at the Genoa City Athletic Club, but turned up at Phyllis' door instead, and they made love. The next morning Phyllis and Nick showed up at Newman together and told Victor and Nikki about the divorce and pregnancy. Nikki was appalled, but Victor congratulated them.

Victoria confronted Sharon about kissing Brad, then fired her from Newman. Sharon went running to Brad who sent her on a mysterious errand to deliver a red tote bag to a car downtown for him. Brad's daughter Colleen confronted him with what she knew about his mysterious past, and accused him of kidnapping J.T.. Brad explained his past to Colleen, then hustled her and Abby off to the private jet where they met his mother Rebecca, and were jetted to safety in Hawaii. Meanwhile Sharon arrived at Brad's to find the door ajar, and being mistaken for Brad's wife, was kidnapped and held captive with J.T. in Cleveland. Brad received a call from the kidnapper telling him they had Sharon. Victoria and Brad went back to Newman, and brought Nick and Paul in on the case. Nikki volunteered to take Noah away on a mini-vacation to see her sister Casey to keep him safe and oblivious to the fact that his mother was missing. Brad had to explain to all his past as George Kaplan and that the kidnappers wanted an artifact called the Grudgeon Reliquary. Then J.T. was dumped on Brad's doorstep as a warning. After they wasted days trying to track down the Reliquary on the Internet and through art dealers, Victoria decided to create a fake using two other similar Grudgeon pieces. They took the fake to Cleveland and Nick met the kidnapper and his henchman for the exchange at a church. Meanwhile, misled by the kidnappers, Brad, Paul and J.T. were converging on the shipping crate where Sharon had been held which was booby-trapped with explosives. They disarmed it in time, then arrived just in time to rescue Nick & Sharon as explosives attached to Sharon were about to detonate. Brad ended up fighting with the bad guys, and killed them both after the head guy admitted he was the Oscar Volkmann, son of the Commandant who was executed after Brad's mother's testimony. All arrived safely back in GC and vowed to never tell what went on for everyone's safety.

Nick and Sharon divorced with joint custody of Noah, and Sharon received their house in the settlement. Nick and Phyllis moved into the Tack House on the Newman Ranch so Nick could be close to his son. Nick and Phyllis became engaged, and Nick threw Phyllis a fun engagement party hoedown style modeled after "their place "Pepe's" in New Mexico which included a visit from Rocky the dancing cowboy from there and a ruby engagement ring. Sharon and Jack Abbott began having an affair. After an attempt to get married prior to the 6 month waiting period was turned down by the judge, Nick and Phyllis eloped back to New Mexico at Pepe's, and returned to Genoa City married, and looking forward to the birth of their daughter.

Paul Williams managed to track Sheila to Argentina in October 2006 and discovered that she had undergone plastic surgery to look like Phyllis Summers, then had killed the plastic surgeon. Paul, later in October, discovered her buying baby things in Genoa City, and followed her to a warehouse where he trapped her in the cell she had constructed with the intention of imprisoning Lauren and stealing her baby Fen. He made her pose for a death photo at gunpoint and made up DNA samples to convince Lauren and Michael that she was killed when struck by a car in Argentina. Paul also let Phyllis and Nick know. Paul kept her imprisoned there undetected until December when Michael put a tracking bug on Paul's car and caught Paul bringing her food. Michael picked the lock and was shocked to discover "Phyllis" behind the bars. Paul appeared and tried to convince Michael that it was really Sheila, but it took a cell phone call to the real Phyllis to convince him. Knowing the authorities can never keep her contained, Paul and Michael shared a secret and the dilemma of what to do with her. Meanwhile Lauren and the real Phyllis were bonding through their pregnancies as she helped Lauren get through her post partum depression and anxiety attacks.

As a winter ice storm took out the power, Phyllis and Jack became trapped in the Newman elevator. Phyllis had been on her way to the hospital for a caesarean because her baby was in the breech position, but went into labor in the elevator instead. Fearful that the baby would not deliver normally and die, Phyllis implored Jack to cut the baby out of her using a nail scissors. But Jack ended up turning and delivering the baby, who was later named Summer Ann. Meanwhile, Nick was out in the storm rescuing Phyllis's son Daniel from a car wreck. Lily had to do CPR on Daniel while Nick sped them to the hospital. All were united later, Phyllis and baby were fine, and Daniel recovered with only broken ribs. Jack developed a close bond with Summer, and later set up a nursery for her at Newman. As like-injured parties by Phyllis and Nick's affair and marriage, Jack and Sharon began an affair and since were married. And an April remarriage in Genoa City was planned for Nick and Phyllis to make them legal, was postponed due to the disappearance and presumed death of Dru.

Detective Maggie Sullivan and Paul Williams began dating, and in her curiosity about Paul's frequent absence "on a stakeout" she tracked him by his cell phone to the warehouse. Sheila conned her into believing she was Phyllis, Maggie let her loose, then Sheila shot her with her own gun. Paul arrived later and was trapped in the cell too by Sheila when he came to Maggie's aid. Sheila then went to Phyllis's, tied her up and waiting for Lauren and baby Fen to arrive, taunting Phyllis about how great it would be to take over her life with her hot husband and new baby. After Lauren arrived she was tied up, and Sheila took Phyllis and babies Fen and Summer to a retirement home where she had an apartment. Michael eventually rescued Paul and a near-death Maggie from the warehouse cell, and they rescued Lauren. While Michael and Paul followed Sheila's walkie-talkie signal which she planted to lure them elsewhere, Nick and Lauren with the aid of Kevin enhanced the background noise from her latest taunting call. Nick realized where they were and while they tried to find Paul, Lauren snuck out with the gun Paul had given her for security. Lauren found the apartment, broke in, and confronted the two Phyllises. Phyllis managed to convince Lauren she was the real one, and Lauren shot Sheila dead! Her dying words still taunting Lauren that she would never be rid of her and she had shot the wrong one, lead us to believe that this may have yet been another pawn of Sheila and she may still be out there and a threat. Phyllis was livid with Michael and Lauren for endangering her and her baby Summer, and refuses to reconcile. Maggie recovered from her gunshot wound and did not tell the police about Paul or Michael holding Sheila in that cell, so they were not charged.

The controversial NVP spa project known as Clear Springs had everyone at Newman taking sides. Jack, Victor, Phyllis and Nick felt a large development would revitalize a dying town, and Nikki, Brad, and Victoria were opposed because it would wipe out historic structures in the town. Nikki and Neil ran for the vacant Newman board seat to boost the votes for their side, and thanks to Phyllis's blackmail of Brad over his affair with Sharon, Victor's yes-man Neil won, so they appeared to have the upper hand on Clear Springs. But Brad got Phyllis arrested for extortion, she was found guilty, and later went to prison.

As part of a plot to bring down Jack, Victor convinced Jack to run for the Wisconsin State Senate. Nikki was in on it, but in her anger at being passed over as a board member of Newman in favor of Neil, she decided to run against Jack. Victor was livid and reminded Nikki where she came from and where she would be if not for him! Meanwhile Jack continues to be visited by his conscience in the form of his dead father John, and appeared to be having second thoughts about the things he did to control Victor during his epilepsy when he was vulnerable. Jack's campaign manager David Chow pulled a dirty trick by exposing Nikki's porn film 'Hot Hips' on the Internet to discredit her, so Jack fired him. Then Nikki hired him to pull the same sort of tricks on Jack. In what appeared to be a political move at the time, Jack and Sharon were married at the ranch with Noah as best man.

Victor and Sharon were scheduled to fly to Clear Springs, then Jack was going in Victor's place, but had to cancel. So Sharon and Nick ended taking the trip instead. On the return trip the Newman jet went down in Lake Michigan with no survivors. Sharon surprised everyone when she walked in on the Newmans and Jack just after they'd gotten the news. She was just as shocked to hear that her taking another flight had saved her life, and that Nick was missing and presumed dead. (It was suggested that the jet may have been sabotaged.) Noah and Nikki were devastated, but Nikki carried on with her State Senatorial campaign with the help of her campaign manager, David Chow. Victor abandoned them in their grief after Hope called, by taking off for Sri Lanka to search for their missing son Victor Jr. While Victor was away, David fell for Nikki, they got caught kissing by Phyllis and Sharon, and were exposed on videotape. Gloria got Kevin to monitor the security cameras at Jabot, which proved that Jack owned Jabot. So Jack quickly sold Jabot at a loss to Katherine Chancellor. In the end, Jack won the election and became State Senator, but later left in disgrace when his former step-other Gloria exposed him for falsifying his father's will that cut her out. Nick turned up lost in the woods, found by Internist Logan Armstrong and brought back to GC and his family. But Nick lost his memory of the past two years of his life, including his marriage to Phyllis and their baby Summer. Remembering only his love for Sharon, Nick tried to win her back even though she was married to Jack, but Sharon though tempted, wasn't interested. Nick began seeing Phyllis, curious as to why he ever hooked up with this person he remembers not even liking very much. When Noah started acting out for Sharon, Nick agreed to move back in with Phyllis so Noah could come live with them. Nick did not regain his memory, but it didn't take long for him to fall in love with Phyllis all over again. Then Phyllis was tried, found guilty of extortion, and went to prison. But Michael got her off after serving only a few months.

Victor returned as arrogant and controlling as ever, still intent on somehow bringing Jack down. It wasn't until weeks later, and after he'd agreed to sell NVP to Nikki, that Victor discovered Jack had sold Jabot to Katherine, so he had lost his leverage over Jack. Livid with Jack, Kay, and Ji Min for outwitting him, Victor lit into Nikki for not warning him, telling her he only sold her NVP so she would have to sell her Jabot stock, then he could go after Jack, not to please her! Nikki had enough of his pompous behavior, moved out, and have divorced again. Nikki asked David Chow to work for her running NVP, and they became lovers. Meanwhile Ji Min Kim turned up dead in his room at the GC Athletic Club. Victor and Jack were prime suspects

One day everyone in GC seemed to be at Clear Springs when its underground parking structure and casino collapsed, trapping several of them inside. Sharon, Jack, and Nick were there to scout for a photo shoot. Nick was knocked out, and Jack pinned by debris, but Nick awoke and got Jack free. Sharon's leg was sprained, but they managed to find an opening in the rubble. Jack levered it open so that Nick and Sharon could escape, leaving him there still trapped. While waiting for rescue, Jack wrote a note to Sharon confessing how much he loved her. Meanwhile Amber crawled out of her crushed car and made her way to an elevator, finding Kay bruised and dirty inside, having been left there while her grandson Cane and J.T. crawled up the shaft for help. Also trapped were Adrian Korbel with a very pregnant Victoria, and Lauren and Noah trapped with Paul. Nikki and others stood vigil on the outside, waiting while rescuers cleared rubble and tried to get to the victims. Phyllis, still in prison, heard about it on TV, got no answer on Nick's cell phone, and got the news when she called Victor. Sharon and Nick walked out of the rubble, asking rescuers to go back for Jack. The rescuers said it was too dangerous, that methane was escaping and about to blow up, so our hero Victor, went in and rescued his worst enemy. Cane and J.T. made it out, but Cane fooled them into believing he'd had rescue training in Australia, and went back to rescue Kay and Amber. Sharon and Nick were relieved when Noah came out on a stretcher. Noah later had his spleen removed as a result of his injuries. Then the dead body of the construction foreman was removed. The reason Cane and Kay were there was to investigate him for shoddy work and kickbacks. Finally, Korbel and Victoria emerged, just as the methane blast occurred. Victoria was hit on the head with a rock, knocked out, and rolled down the pile of debris.

Still pregnant, Victoria spent months in a coma while her family and fiancé J.T. held vigil at her bedside. They finally had to decide if the baby should be delivered prematurely to save Victoria. J.T. and Victor chose to deliver, but Nikki insisted that Victoria would rather her baby live, so it was taken to court. They ended up waiting a couple more weeks until the baby had a better chance, then baby boy Reed was delivered. A DNA test was run and J.T. was pronounced the father. Reed thrived in the hospital while still comatose Victoria was taken back to the ranch. Nikki and Victor were separated, so Victor lived in the ranch house while Nikki took residence in Sharon's cottage with David Chow forever there in Victor's face. Not long after J.T. brought Reed home, Victoria woke up. Victoria and J.T. were married, and they moved back to the loft apartment with Reed. Victor made his new son-in-law J.T. head of Newman Security by Victor, and Victoria went back at work.

The investigation into the Clear Springs disaster disclosed the cause was Victor Newman's mining the methane underneath it. It didn't take long for Victor to alienate everyone around him, including Nikki. Victor called in her loans for NVP, fired and bankrupted her, giving him full control of NVP. He also fired Nick as Co-CEO of Newman and replaced him with Neil.

After jack lost his senate seat and Nick was fired from Newman, they got together and decided to start a new Internet & Print Magazine. They asked Phyllis to join them, and Sharon requested to work with them later. They named it Restless Style. Nick bought a dilapidated warehouse which was turning into a money pit, and was financing it and his share of the venture on money borrowed from his trust fund, which he could not receive until he was 40. They hired Daniel as a photographer assistant and general go-for, and Amber begged to be hired as receptionist. Victor labeled it foolhardy, and was sure it was going to fail.

Victor's son with Hope, Victor Jr., suddenly showed up in Victor's office, accepted a job, and asked to be called Adam so there will be less confusion and that the wrong message wasn't sent. His first assignment was to work with Victoria on the Beauty of Nature project. He flaunted his Harvard education and superior work ethic in Victoria, Nick and Neil's faces, going over Victoria's head with decisions, and hitting on Nick's wife Phyllis, leaving everyone guessing at Adam's agenda. Victoria eventually quit Newman due to the friction with her father and with Adam usurping her position, and went to work for her mother at Jabot. The day after Sabrina accepted Victor's marriage proposal, Adam accepted Victor's offer to move to the ranch to get to know him better, and moved in. Sabrina was not thrilled with this idea, as she and Adam did not get along since each thought the other was an opportunist. Nikki reacted to the news of their engagement by eloping with David Chow to Mexico.

After many discarded ideas, Victor and Sabrina decided to get married in an old barn near the ranch, and Victor had it cleaned up and decorated beautifully for the occasion. Since Victoria and Nick were still on the outs with them, Victoria turned down Sabrina's offer to be her matron of honor, and Adam was asked to be best man without Victor even consulting Nick. Sabrina, unable to get any of her other friends abroad to come, chose her new assistant Jana Hawkes as her maid of honor. Victor's daughter Abby and Nick's daughter Summer were adorable as flower girls. The day before the wedding, much to her displeasure, Sabrina's estranged mother Zara showed up. Nick attended the wedding, and although she tried not to go, Victoria, J.T., and baby Reed showed up just as the bride was walking down the aisle. Victoria caught Zara taking photos of the wedding to sell to the media, and she managed to get the memory card out of the camera to foil her plans. Victor and Sabrina left for Paris on their honeymoon where Victor bought her a chateau. Back in GC, Adam caught Zara taking a video tour of the ranch to sell, stopped her and later kindly ushered into a limo and onto a plane with a one way ticket back home. During the wedding, at the stables with her new horse Athena, Nikki received a devastating phone call from David telling her that he could no longer deceive her about his gambling and that he wanted a divorce. But the next day David appeared begging Nikki to give him another chance, and Nikki tried. On returning from their honeymoon, Victor ran into Nikki and saw her upset, but Victor left when Paul interrupted saying he was meeting her. Meanwhile David, on a business trip to Hollywood, cut it short to gamble in Vegas - where he was spotted by Gloria losing big at the roulette table.

As the launch date for Restless Style approached, the foursome began having problems getting along and determining who was to make the needed decisions. Then, last minute, Jack hired Jamie Whitfield as a consultant who hated everything and convinced them to change it a lot - most notably the cover, and Lily's cover was axed. Jamie brought in professional model, Samantha Cresswell and Kathy Hilton for a last minute revamp. The printer couldn't handle the last minute changes and still get it out on time, but other printers were found to take up the slack. The magazine was launched in time, just as the website crashed due to a virus that Amber had unknowingly allowed to infect the server. Will Victor be proven right? At the rate the partners were bickering over who was in charge, will Restless Style ever succeed? As Victor predicted, the first edition of his son Nick's Restless Style magazine/webzine did not do as well as expected, so the second had a hipper cover featuring hot singer Katy Perry. Then Adrian Korbel was hired to do an article on Sabrina and the Newman Gallery for the 3rd issue, to which she and Victor approved, and Victoria stepped up as a last minute replacement for the cover which was done in a Hollywood retro style. Though Adrian stumbled upon a rumor that Sabrina had wrangled an exhibition for her lover Phillipe when she was Art Curator at the Pompidou Museum in Paris which could shed new light on the latest Mrs. Victor Newman, he decided not to make a big deal about it. But Jack did some further research and turned Adrian’s article into a scandalous one that upset everyone, but the magazines sold into a fourth printing. Jack had sent Adrian off to Australia to do another article, so he was furious when he returned. Assuming Nick was in on the scandalous article and for Victoria’s turning against Sabrina for marrying her father, Victor cut them both out of his will as he added Adam and Sabrina.

Victor left guests waiting at Sabrina's funeral only to have the minister tell them that the funeral a private funeral had been held earlier and her body was already interred. Victor disappeared, leaving his cell phone, wallet and epilepsy medication buried on Sabrina's grave. Adam in his concern, decided to change his name to Victor Newman Jr. Meanwhile in Victor’s absence, the stockholders at Newman voted Victoria back in as Co-CEO, and because the ranch was part of Newman Enterprises, she took it upon herself to kick Adam out.

Paul traced Victor to Bucerias, Mexico, where he had been hanging out in a cantina awaiting the arrival of Walter Palin, AKA mobster Tony Amato, the man he held responsible for Sabrina's death. Paul and Nikki went there to find Victor, but Paul had to return when his daughter Heather had a medical emergency. Nikki went off the wagon in her grief after the authorities told her that Victor had been declared dead when his fishing boat broke up in a storm. Later a body washed up onshore, but Nikki did not let on that she recognized him as Walter.

A drunken Nikki called Katherine and told her that Victor was dead. Kay tried to keep her on the line while she called Nick on another phone. Adam reacted to the news by requesting the Mexican government FAX him a death certificate. Michael took charge and read the will which gave Newman Enterprises and the ranch to Adam. Nick was given the Restless Style building free and clear, and Victoria the Newman art collection. Abby and grandchildren Noah and Summer and any future grandchildren were given a percentage of the estate. Letters written to his children were later read in private. Victor wrote to Nick that he was a disappointment, but that he was hard on him to make him tough. Victor apologized for not being a good father, saying he was proud of Nick, the best father his kids could hope for. Victor wrote to Adam that he was most like himself and encouraged him to make him proud but to be generous to his brother and sister. To Victoria he wrote of love and adoration, that she was best parts of him and the very soul of Newman. Adam threw away his letter, had Heather move in with him at the ranch, declared himself Victor Newman Jr., took charge at Newman by firing Neil and hiring Brad.

Nikki, still in Mexico, walked the beach pitifully wailing for Victor, and collapsing in the sand. When she looked up, there he was, alive and very upset with her for being there. He told her to go home, that he wanted the world to think he was dead. In response to her declaration that she still loved him, he replied that he wished one of them had the guts to kill the other to put them out or their misery. Nikki returned to Genoa City. Not long afterward Victor returned and Michael filled him in on what had happened in his absence. Victor summoned his children and Neil to the ranch. First he fired Adam and made Neil CEO of Newman, then told Adam to live elsewhere and his things would be sent to him. Neil later asked Victoria to return to Newman at her father’s suggestion. Nick and Victoria were thrilled to see their father alive, but although he forgave them for their treatment of Sabrina and thanked them for their actions when they thought he was dead, he was still cold to them and asked them to leave him in his seclusion to heal. Then Victor got Zapato from the kennel where Adam had banished him, fired all the help, made a nation-wide statement to leave him alone, and hired security guards to keep everyone away. Even Nikki had to smash a window to try to talk to him. Adam was roughed up by the guards and taken off to jail trying to see him. Jack had no luck even threatening to publish the photos of Sabrina unconscious and bloody at the accident scene. Victor did allow in his old friend Katherine, heard her out, then asked her to leave. After weeks of Victor being a recluse at the ranch, Nick heard music coming from Sabrina’s art gallery and found Victor there passed out due dehydration. The family was turned away at the hospital by a surly Victor, and they were about to have him committed for his own safety, but he managed to disappear, and was last seen flying away on the Newman jet. To revive confidence in Newman, Neil hired Nick back part time as an advisor.

Jack's success-by-any-means business style with Sharon's undying support was making it impossible for the two couples to co-exist at Restless Style, so they let a coin flip decide who would buy out the other. Jack and Sharon won, giving Nick and Phyllis a price to buy them out or take the same price to leave. Knowing Nick didn't have the funds, Sharon visited Victor asking him to give Nick his job back at Newman. But Victor surprised them all by giving Nick a line of credit for the buyout instead. Knowing they needed someone with contacts in fashion, and with Nikki now out of a job and full of great ideas, they took her on as interim Editor in Chief. Nikki got Ruby Aldridge for the cover of their first magazine on their own and Phyllis was in charge of the farewell Letter from the Editor. She avoided the urge to trash them and wrote something nice. But after Nick spent a little too much time with Sharon resolving a problem with Noah, she changed it back to trash. But after a little loving, Nick forgave her of course. But neither Phyllis or Jack were none too pleased when Nick's first act as Advisor to Newman was to rehire Sharon as their Beauty of Nature Spokesperson.

Victor was hiding out in France at the chateau he bought for Sabrina, but in his raging anger and depression, burned it to the ground with tears in his eyes. Meanwhile, Nikki, Nick, Victoria, and J.T. were trying to lead the authorities on a wild goose chase by appearing to meet Victor in Rio. During Nikki’s interrogation by Heather and the authorities, Victor made a call to Michael who was acting as her lawyer. He ended up speaking to Heather, telling her he was innocent in the death of Walter Palin, and to leave his family and him alone. He fired Michael as his lawyer, and told everyone this was the last they would ever hear from him. So Nikki called Ashley as the one person Victor may listen to. Meanwhile Nick received a call from a Priest in Paris concerned about Victor who was hiding out at a monastery there. Ashley left her job in London for Paris, but by then Victor had disappeared again. After finding a prayer card for Saint Raymond in his room, Ashley ended up in front of the Saint's statue, and Victor walked up behind her. They had a tearful reunion that ended up between the sheets.

Ashley and Victor returned to Genoa City in time for Katherine Chancellor's funeral (who was not really dead, it was her doppelganger, Marge). They sat in the front row and shunned everyone, then afterward quickly left in a waiting limo. Once Heather found out, Victor was arrested for the murder of Walter Palin and confronted with the diary he supposedly wrote about the murder. Victor finally allowed Nikki to visit him in jail, only to accuse her of setting him up by being involved in the bogus diary of how he killed Walter. Nikki FINALLY had enough and told Victor to go to hell! She went to Paul's for solace and they ended up between the sheets too. Jack was questioned by the FBI about his involvement with the diary, and only admitted that he hooked Adam up with the publisher.

Nick arrived in Paris too, and ran into Sharon who was there to meet Noah on his class trip, so he showed her around Paris. Eden and Noah went to the Père Lachaise Cemetery where Jim Morrison was buried, Eden opened up to Noah about her mother who grew up in Paris, and they ended up in an embrace. But they were interrupted by some young thugs who stole the necklace Eden's mother had left her, and roughed up Noah. Eden got away and called the police. The thugs got away dropping the necklace which Noah retrieved, and Noah and Eden were taken to the police station until Sharon was located and picked them up. Noah and Eden were becoming close and kissing when they can get away with it, since they were forbidden to see each other because of the trouble they got into in Paris.

Nick arrived in Paris too, and ran into Sharon who was there to meet Noah on his class trip, so Nick showed her around Paris. Phyllis arrived in Paris later to surprise Nick after putting the latest issue of Restless Style to bed, but he was off with Sharon. So Phyllis supervised a Paris photo-shoot for the magazine, then went sightseeing - one of the sights being Nick and Sharon kissing on a bridge. They had gotten caught up in the moment, and that was as far as it went. Phyllis took the next flight home and did not mention to Nick that she was even there. After witnessing the kiss in Paris, convinced that Jack and Sharon's marriage was on the skids, Phyllis did all she can to keep Sharon from falling back to Nick. Phyllis approached Brad to let him know the field was open for him again, and if he needed any help, she was willing. Brad found Sharon at the GCAC bar, and worked on getting her back himself. Phyllis then arranged for Sharon to find out some more of Jack's lies causing a further split between them. Phyllis was forced to admit she'd been in Paris when the Paris photo-shoot came out in print, and she told Nick what she saw there. Nick apologized and assured Phyllis that it was just a moment between them, and that Phyllis was still the only woman for him.

In late January of 2009, Sharon went up to the Abbott lake house to be alone and think about what to do with her life after divorce papers were served on Jack. Brad showed up and declared his love, but Sharon sent him away. On the drive home, Brad had car trouble, got out, and heard the screams of Noah Newman who had gone skating with Eden and fallen through the ice. Brad died a hero after he pulled Noah from the hole in the ice, when he fell through himself and drowned. Colleen and J.T. found Brad’s car about the same time Noah remembered and told Victoria that it was Brad who rescued him. J.T. and Colleen heard a boy playing on the ice scream as he discovered Brad's body showing through the ice. J.T. checked out the situation and had to deliver the bad news to Colleen. Colleen and Abby were both devastated by the news, and Victoria and Ashley commiserated over the loss of their former husbands.

Meanwhile Nick made it through the snowstorm to the Abbott cabin at Twin Lakes to let Sharon know what had happened to Noah. Just as Phyllis had suspected when she begged him not to go, Nick and Sharon ended up stranded there together, reminiscences got the best of them, and they made love in front of the fireplace. Nick admitted it when Phyllis guessed. He thought about his options for a few days, but decided that Sharon was his past, and Phyllis was his future. Days later when Nick apparently didn't remember or care, Sharon decided to celebrate their wedding anniversary getting drunk on shots at a bar. Billy Abbott was there, also drunk, so the two of them hooked up and spent the night together in her hotel room. Weeks later, Phyllis caught Sharon and Billy together and threatened to tell Jack and Nick about their affair. Sharon broke down, phoned Billy, and called things off. Jack arrived and she fell into his arms, ashamed and troubled. Jack asked her to come back to him, and would forgive her anything. Sharon asked him to just keep her safe from the rest of the world, and Jack promised he would. They made love and Sharon moved back in with Jack. But Nick and Noah were both perplexed with her flakiness when only days later Sharon inexplicably decided to move back to the club.

Eden and Noah took off together for the Abbott cabin at Twin Lakes to be alone and have sex for the first time, but they reconsidered and had left by the time both Sharon and Nick got there to stop them. Once again, Sharon & Nick fell back into the old attraction and had sex there themselves. Nick admitted to Phyllis what had happened and suggested they separate until he could decide who he really wanted. They arrived at home to find Eden and Noah having sex on their couch. Nick spent the night at Victoria's, and Phyllis went crazy in Sharon's hotel room, screaming and cutting up her clothes. She discovered Sharon's stash of stolen items, and notified the police. When Sharon arrived back at her room, she was arrested for theft. Jack bailed her out, Nick accused Phyllis of setting her up, and Victor decided it was time Noah came to live with him. Nick and Phyllis split up for a time from the fallout, then just as they got back together in time for their anniversary, Phyllis was caught on hotel video tape and arrested for trashing Sharon’s room. Sharon had a confession written up ready to give to Assistant DA Heather, but thanks to Phyllis’s plea for Noah’s sake, Lauren dropped shoplifting charges against Sharon, so Sharon dropped charges against Phyllis.

Sharon told Doris she was pregnant and there were three possible fathers. Later Cassie appeared to Sharon in dream saying the baby girl she foresaw on her deathbed was Summer. Sharon tried to tell Nick that she was pregnant but was interrupted, then told Jack, who confided in Billy not realizing that Billy was the third. Jack told Sharon he wanted her back and the baby, whosever it was, so they have reconciled. Jack had to dump Mary Jane, but she connived to get him back by getting Sharon involved with Nick again.

Adam was further angered overhearing Victor talk Nick into coming back to Newman as full time COO, and that he wants to leave Newman to his kids – Victoria and Nick. This leaves Phyllis alone running Restless Style.

Memorial Day 2009, the anniversary of Cassie's death, found Sharon and Nick still grieving, and Nick finally feeling remorse for not being there for her back then. Sharon tried to avoid Nick, but they ended up running into each other at Cassie's grave where emotions ran high. Nick referred to Cassie's prophecy of another baby girl, causing Sharon to admit that she was pregnant and it may be his, which was overheard by Phyllis. Phyllis lambasted Jack for letting this happen, and because she overheard Sharon say that Jack knew everything and he forgave her, she asked Jack how he could forgive Billy being the third possibility. Jack was shocked and later attacked Billy for it. Sharon admitted to Jack that Billy may be the third possibility of father of her baby, while Nick admitted to Phyllis that Sharon was pregnant and it may be his. Jack was understanding and loving even though it ruined his relationship with his brother, and he still wants her and the baby no matter whose baby it is. Phyllis reacted calm and accepting, and gave Nick an ultimatum to choose between her and Sharon. Sharon made an appointment for a paternity test. Nick remembered the wonderful parts of his life with Phyllis, comparing them with memories with Sharon. Sharon walked in and they kissed passionately, with Nick saying he was leaving Phyllis, wanting to be with Sharon. But Sharon turned him down, saying she and Jack were back together and raising the child, and could not break up their family. Despite this, Nick went home and told Phyllis that it was over. Later at the Athletic Club Nick came out of his room, caught Sharon coming down the hall, convinced her that they were meant to be, and they again made love. Meanwhile Phyllis was pouring her heart out to Jack, and they ended up making love as well, with Mary Jane scowling through the window. But after Jack left Phyllis's, he went to Mary Jane and they made love too. Now that Nick and Sharon seem to be getting back together, Mary Jane appears to be working on getting Phyllis out of Jack's life so she can have Jack to herself. Nick told Phyllis to go ahead and file for divorce, that he would not fight her on anything, and Phyllis replied, “You want it so bad, get it yourself!” After Nick left, Phyllis told Summer that her daddy was not going to be living with them anymore.

Sharon and Nick went house-hunting and found the perfect one on Rampart Lane. Sharon got the paternity test results back and was ecstatic that she and Nick were expecting Faith, the daughter that Cassie predicted on her death bed and in Nick's dream. Mary Jane befriended Phyllis, and once she had her trust, she made her daughter Summer have an allergic reaction and go into a coma by kissing her with peanut butter on her lips. Mary Jane then led Heather to believe that Phyllis did it intentionally. After seeing Nick so distraught over his daughter Summer being in a coma, Sharon realized that he needed to be there for Summer and Phyllis, and not run off with her like he did over Cassie, so she told everyone her baby was Jack's. Phyllis was later exonerated when it started looking as though Mary Jane had something to do with it, and had disappeared. Summer came out of the coma, but with brain damage affecting her speech. Summer’s obsession with watching the video of their wedding made Nick realize how much he really loved Phyllis and wanted to stay together, even marry her all over again. Meanwhile Sharon admitted to Jack that Nick was really the father of her unborn baby, and Jack refused to forgive her for lying to him. Sharon watched from the bushes as Nick and Phyllis renewed their vows. Later Sharon walked out of the Jewelers in a daze with a duplicate of Phyllis's new wedding ring, was arrested. and institutionalized for 30 days for mental observation. Her mother Doris visited her and questioned why Jack, the father of her baby, had not been by to see her, causing Sharon to admit that Nick was the real father. Later as Doris left, Sharon opened her door and cautioned Doris not to tell anyone, but Nick was outside and overheard. After Doris was out of sight, he returned, confronted Sharon with truth, and she admitted it. Nick told Sharon he cannot walk away from his child. Jack told Phyllis the truth about Mary Jane, and she confronted Victor, asking if he brought Patty in and set her up to get back at Jack, causing Patty/Mary Jane to hurt Summer. Victor avoided the question, claiming he would never intentionally hurt a member of his family. Then Phyllis left to take Summer to Switzerland for expert help with her recovery from her disability.

Once Ashley was finally convinced that Victor was behind Patty's reign of terror, resulting in his own granddaughter Summer being hurt, his dog Zapato being killed, Patty’s fragile mental state being worsened, and her own torment by Patty, she packed to leave and wrote Victor a goodbye note. Then Billy showed up telling her that Victor had been shot by Patty, and they left for the hospital together. Victor arrived by ambulance in critical condition, and had surgery to remove a bullet from his heart. Ashley confronted Victor about all that he had caused and sent him into heart arrhythmia. Paul traced Nikki to a Colorado spa and brought her back to be with Victor. But his heart was too far gone, only a heart transplant would save him now. Tests confirmed Colleen was brain dead, and Traci finally made the heart-breaking decision to take her off life-support. All of Colleen’s friends came to say goodbye including her best friend Lily. Kevin and Jana told Traci and Steve what a wonderful person she was, that she had turned their lives around by forgiving them for trying to kill her. A broken-hearted J.T. whispered, "Goodbye Sweetheart" into Colleen's ear and went off to be with his wife, but he returned the next day and spent some time alone with Colleen. Her uncles Jack and Billy and half sister Abby had a hard time comprehending it all. Then Traci and Steve were told that Colleen was an organ-donor, and Nikki had the nerve to intrude to request Colleen’s heart to save Victor. Then Traci and Steve were told that Colleen was an organ-donor, and Nikki had the nerve to intrude to request Colleen’s heart to save Victor. Jack and Billy protested, then Jack reconsidered and agreed since Victor basically saved his life. Victor and Colleen turned out to be a match, and Traci decided in favor of the transplant despite Billy ranting how Victor was responsible for “Cee Cee’s” death and certainly would not have approved.

Meanwhile Dr. Taylor delivered Sharon's baby girl. Adam snatched her out of his arms, and when Ashley awoke from the drug Adam had given her during her "labor", Adam handed her Sharon's baby as her own. Dr. Taylor was forced to deliver the news to Sharon that her baby had been born malformed and died. The baby was cremated, so by the time she told Nick there was no way to prove differently. Adam's guilt began drawing him close to both Ashley and Sharon. Sharon decided it was time to move on and moved in and is renting Brad and Colleen's now vacant house from Jack.

After Ashley overheard Nikki and Victor talk of their undying love, she told Victor she wanted a divorce and was keeping the ranch for their daughters to grow up there to which Victor did not object. Victor made a rather quick recovery in time to arrive on Nikki's arm for his "daughter" Faith Colleen Newman's Christening where Traci and Adam were Godparents. Victor insisted Adam have a place at Newman under Nick's purview as a Junior Vice President. On Adam's first day on the job he gave the SEC an anonymous tip that Victoria had not disclosed to the recently acquired Savaneur company stockholders the gravity of Victor's condition, and they began investigating.

Billy made a surprise move by resigning as Co-CEO of Jabot and buying Restless Style magazine/webzine from Nick and Phyllis using a loan from Ashley. Phyllis was reluctant, but decided that it was no fun anymore without Nick, and she could spend more time with Summer if she went back to work at Newman. In retaliation for Colleen's death, Billy's first issue became an exposé of Victor Newman's role in her death then to be kept alive by the donation of Colleen's heart, plus his part in the failure of the bank in Grand Cayman. Victor took it rather calmly, while Ashley was livid when she realized he had spent her money to vilify the father of her children. Victor visited Colleen’s grave, bought Nikki a ring, and left Faith a video of his version of his life, then Victor and Nikki said their goodbyes and left for a cardiac rehab center in Belgium. Meanwhile Billy discovered Victoria's affair with Deacon and exposed it on the website. Nick tried to kick the magazine out of his building, but it was illegal. The SEC investigated and ordered Victor to repay the Cayman bank depositors for their losses, including Jill, Gloria and Jeffrey.

Adam and Sharon became romantically involved and impulsively flew off to Lake Tahoe on the Newman jet, and got married. The jet crashed on the way back, and as they were going down, Adam showed Sharon a note that said that her baby was still alive. They survived the crash, but Sharon suffered a head injury, and didn't appear to recall the note. Nick punched Adam when he found out about their marriage, accusing him of taking advantage of Sharon to get back at Nick.

In January 2010, Victor returned from Belgium with Nikki on his arm, just in time to catch Adam and Nick in a fist fight knocking his portrait from his office wall. Victor declared he was back in charge and everything either of them had done would be undone. He later showed up at the ranch to see Ashley and his baby "daughter" Faith, and let her know that he wanted the ranch back.

Jill met wealthy industrialist Tucker McCall on a business trip, but he let her assume he was just a bartender, and they had an affair. Tucker soon showed up at Chancellor to advise Kay and Neil to buy out a company named “Cell Tron” with Chancellor stock. Jill was shocked to walk in on the meeting and discover who Tucker really was, but he managed to talk his way out of it later, and they continued their affair. When the DNA test proved JoJo was not Kay's daughter, it was discovered that Tucker had set JoJo up as part of his plot to get revenge on Kay because HE was her missing child! Another DNA test proved it. Tucker turned out to be the only stockholder in “Cell Tron”, so owned majority interest in Chancellor, which devastated Katherine. When Kay found out about Tucker and Jill’s relationship, she accused Jill of being in on his plot, and fired her from Jabot and Chancellor. Victor and Adam staged a public fight and Victor ran an article in Restless Style exposing Adam as part of Nick’s idea to get Chancellor back to Kay. So Tucker’s first steps were to hire Adam Newman, J.T. Hellstrom, and Kevin Fisher, dump Jill as a lover, and sell Jabot. Because Victor got Adam to disclose the sealed bids, Newman was able to outbid the Abbotts for Jabot. Victor announced Victoria would be CEO, and Gloria Jabot Ambassadress, just to stick it to Jack. Jack was livid when Victor fired him, accusing Victor of dirty dealing, and Ashley gave Victor back his ranch in disgust. After signing over Jabot to Victor, Tucker received word that Jack had gotten a judge to block the sale pending investigation of Adam’s part in it. Adam was a no-show at the hearing, so the case and sale were delayed for thirty days.

Phyllis did some investigating of Adam and Dr. Taylor's past in Boston, and found out about Dr. Taylor's sexual assaults of his patients. She and Ashley compared notes on Adam, and Ashley realized that he was the one who was gas-lighting her to drive her insane, then threw Adam and Sharon off the ranch. Victor and Nick began having second thoughts about trusting Adam, after he came to them threatening to expose them if they screwed him over. Sharon, despite Ashley and Nick’s warnings, stood by her man, Adam. Because it was inherited by Abby at Colleen's death, Ashley was notified that the fire restoration of Brad's mansion was completed, and she and her daughters moved back in. Adam, afraid that all his lies were about to catch up with him, tried to talk Sharon into moving away, and asked Tucker to make him Vice President of European Operations. Sharon was finally convinced by Skye's diary that Adam was lying, left him, and took Ashley up on her offer to move back to Brad's mansion. Then Sharon began to realize that her baby had not really died at birth, and was determined to get her back. Meanwhile Jack joined forces with Victor to take Adam down if Jabot could be returned to Chancellor. They plotted to get Sharon to lure Adam to the Abbott cabin, and with all he had wronged in attendance even including Rafe and Heather, they confronted Adam with what they knew. Adam played innocent even after Phyllis arrived with a deathbed letter Dr. Taylor had dictated to the ambulance EMT meant for Ashley. The letter told Ashley that she had had a miscarriage months before and a hysterical pregnancy afterward, so never gave birth that night. Ashley remembered meeting “Sabrina” on the stairs and falling, and realized it had to have been Adam. Everyone realized that her baby Faith was really Sharon’s. A DNA test later proved it, and Ashley reluctantly gave Faith to Sharon. Everyone went home leaving Adam with Victor, Nick and Jack, but fearing they would kill him, Adam escaped into the woods and fell down a ravine. He was hospitalized and arrested claiming insanity and that he had been kidnapped by the Newmans and Abbotts. “Emily” was assigned to give Adam a psychiatric evaluation. Since she was really Patty Williams, she knew all to well that Adam was a major manipulator, always managing to escape detection, so declared him fit to stand trial. But Adam saw through her guise, let her know that he knew she was really Patty, and threatened to expose her if she didn’t help him escape. Patty arrived to give him a sedative for transport, but he used it on the guard and then on her. While “Emily” lay on the floor unconscious, Adam showed up in Sharon’s room at the Athletic Club in costume while the annual charity masquerade ball went on in the dining room below. Sharon got him to admit to accidentally causing Ashley’s miscarriage and getting Dr. Taylor to switch their babies, then Nick arrived, and Adam escaped out the window. “Emily” arrived late to the ball and spotted Adam among the crowd, blasting him for using the same syringe on her and the guard. He threatened her again with exposing her as Patty. Sharon and Nick rushed in to the ball telling the police that Adam was just there, as Sharon got a call from Adam demanding to meet her in the basement or “people would get hurt”. Victor, Nick, Jack, Rafe, Heather, Paul, Ashley and Patty went to the basement in search of Adam. Then an explosion rocked the building sending everyone running for the street. Victor and Jack rescued Jill and Kay who were trapped in the restroom, and Nick rescued Phyllis, then Sharon and Faith who had gone back upstairs. It was revealed that a gas line had been cut and a body burned beyond recognition found nearby. The body was later identified as Adam by DNA, and lack of smoke in the lungs proved that he had been murdered before the fire. Suspects were Nick, Jack, Victor, Phyllis, Sharon, Victoria, “Emily”, Ashley, Rafe, Heather, Billy, and Nikki. Heather was suspended from the DA’s office for her involvement in the incident at the cabin.
Evidence collected by District Attorney Owen Pomerantz included Jack Abbott’s monogrammed handkerchief found in the victim’s mouth, blood on Nick’s suit coat (which Phyllis and Sharon connived to hide from the police), and Victor’s broken watch stained with Adam’s blood. Victor told Pomerantz that he backslapped Adam in the basement after Adam taunted him about losing another child in Faith, sending his watch flying, but he did not kill Adam. Nick cautioned Victor that they were “both involved in what happened” when he did not mention that Nick was there too. A homeless person found Nick’s suit coat in a dumpster, Billy and Mac got him to give it up, and Mac turned it over to the police. Because a fancy European pen found at the crime scene was determined to be the murder weapon that stabbed Adam in the heart and was traced to Victoria, she was arrested for the murder of Adam. Meanwhile, J.T. was granted full custody of Reed when she did not show up for the custody hearing. Victor and Nikki were about to fly Adam’s remains to be buried next to Hope in Kansas. But after Pomerantz revealed the contents of Adams’s computer hard drive to contain video from the spy camera he planted at the ranch and voice clips of Sabrina, Victor instead shoved the casket out the cargo door of the plane. At Victoria’s arraignment, Billy interrupted proclaiming her innocence because she was in his hotel room at the time of the murder, but Victoria refused to admit it was true. Meanwhile Jill was reporting this latest Newman scandal on the Restless Style website, and was Twittering updates, for which Billy later fired her. Charges were later dropped against Victoria when Nick’s coat was found, and he was arrested. Nick explained the blood on his coat by admitting he was there when Victor struck Adam. But Victor intervened and confessed to killing his son. All charges were dropped and Nick and Victor were released from jail, but Nick was arrested again after Adam’s last cell phone message was retrieved. Adam had set them up saying the family had him trapped in the basement and he doubted he would get out alive, then said, “No don’t Nick”. While in jail, Nick was attacked with a hypodermic needle by Adam’s former cohort Frank Ellis which led to Nick’s being allowed out on bail for his own safety. Another call from Adam’s phone was traced to a pay phone in a Minneapolis café. Phyllis and Sharon went through the police evidence with Michael and found a Minneapolis parking stub. In Minneapolis Phyllis and Sharon came upon a poster for missing person Richard Hightower, and Phyllis recognized him as the man who was costumed identically to Adam at the ball. The manager and waitress at the café identified Adam and Hightower as the man and boy who had met Adam there. Victor discovered that Adam had never gone back to Hope’s grave in Kansas like he said he had when he disappeared for a week shortly before his death, and Paul uncovered the fact that Hightower had leukemia and had gotten a bone marrow transplant from Adam in Minneapolis instead. Nick put it all together, the resemblance between the missing Richard Hightower and Adam, the bone marrow which was used for the identification would have the same DNA, the body burned beyond recognition, and realized that Adam had probably killed Hightower and faked his own death. He and Phyllis shared their theory with Victor and Nikki, and Sharon produced a letter from a bank confirming that Adam had withdrawn all his cash on the day he supposedly died. A bearded Adam was shown lounging on a beach with a drink in his hand. Victor, Nick, and Jack dug up Adam’s grave, and an expert took dental impressions of the body to be compared to Hightowner’s while the three were arrested. Meanwhile, Sharon and Phyllis found a mask in the cornfield where Adam’s cab had dropped him the night of the ball. But a crop duster dumped pesticide on them causing Sharon lung poisoning. Nick arrived and got her to the hospital in time to save her. The dental records confirmed the body was Hightower, so Pomerantz decided to arrest Nick for his murder. Victor got the crop duster pilot to admit that Adam had paid him to fly him to Ottawa, and demanded he take him there too. Like Adam before him, Victor parachuted out of the plane, winding up at a bar, where he befriended bartender, Meggie. Victor found the thug who had helped Adam, but he would not tell him that he left on a Portuguese freighter. Then Adam received a phone call in São Paulo, Brazil, telling him that Victor had been knocked over the head after tracking him to the bar. Adam rolled over in bed to his old girlfriend Skye Lockhart, who supposedly was murdered and dismembered two years prior. Skye assured him that they had covered his tracks well. Adam wanted to leave immediately, but Skye reminded him of the poker score of a lifetime, and that they were bribing Brazilian officials to not extradite them if they were caught. Back in Canada, Victor discovered a photo he recognized as Skye hanging on the wall of the bar with a message on the back apparently left there for Adam. Meanwhile at home, Nick thought to ask the pilot if Adam had borrowed his phone. He had, and when Nick called the number, Skye answered. Because Nick was out on bail and could not leave the country, Jack arrived in São Because Nick was out on bail and could not leave the country, Jack arrived in Ottawa just in time to rescue Victor from a sinking ship he had been trapped on by the thug.
Together, they hoped to setup Skye and Adam posing as high rollers who were losing millions. Sharon called the phone number, and Adam who was grieving losing her, answered. Sharon led him to believe that she still loved him, and later Victor asked her to join them to help set him up. Nick’s trial began with Michael as his lawyer, hoping to prove that Adam had set Hightower up to fake his own death by killing him and blaming Nick. Meanwhile back in São Paulo, Skye and Victor were the final players a high-stakes poker game – winner take all, including Adam. Victor won, and Skye led him to Adam.

Victor forced Adam to return to Genoa City with him and Sharon, leaving Skye behind with a briefcase full of cash. Victor interrupted Nick's trial, expecting Adam to confess like Victor had coerced him after finding Adam alive, but instead Adam faked a mental breakdown and was taken to the same mental facility as Patty. She was unaware that Adam was there or even still alive. He tormented Patty by entering her room through the air ducts and made her believe that she had killed Hightower. Patty confessed to the staff. In his room down the hall, Adam was arrested for conspiracy to commit murder.

Adam asked Billy to get Rafe to be his lawyer, but Rafe told him to "go to hell." As Adam's bail hearing began with him acting as his own lawyer, Skye waltzed in with famous lawyer, Vance Abrams, who got Adam released on bail. Skye paid his bail in exchange for becoming Adam's wife. Pomerantz refused to exonerate Nick, but proceeded with the case against Adam. As Phyllis had promised herself, once it was over, she left Nick due to his inability to let go of Sharon. She kicked Sharon out of her penthouse and moved back in.

When Adam found out that Patty was telling everyone she was sure that she did not murder Hightower, he helped her escape through the air ducts, and sent her in a nun’s habit to Canada. Paul was sure that Adam helped her escape, but Skye had arranged an air-tight alibi. Adam discovered that Sharon took Faith to get away to the Abbott cabin. He attempted to get in, scared her, and she shot him in the arm with a gun that Nick had left for her protection. Nick arrived, called an ambulance, and Adam was taken to the hospital where he recovered and exonerated Sharon as having been understandably scared, not knowing it was him. Paul later received a call from a red-headed, black cat-tattooed Patty in a bar in South America. She told him that she was fine but would never return, as she twisted the rosary beads in her hand and necked with a guy and asked him if she could call him Jack.

One stormy night in July, Phyllis had a blowout as she drove out to the Abbott cabin to see for herself if Nick had gone running to Sharon’s rescue again. Determined to change the tire herself, a car stopped and Deacon Sharpe got out. As Phyllis said, “What luck – who comes to her rescue but the guy who framed her son.” Deacon explained that he had done what he did to Daniel because Sarah was threatening Deacon's son, Eric, and that he had completed his sentence and was on his way back to California. After Phyllis got cut on her hands, he convinced her to let him change the tire. Finding her spare to be flat, he left to get another tire. Nick came upon the still stranded and wet Phyllis, but she sent him away. When he returned later, Phyllis grabbed Deacon and kissed him to make it look like they were necking, which sent Nick away angry. When Nick came to see her the next day, she let him know she was done being his doormat, and was leaving town for a week with Summer. Upon her return, Phyllis stopped at Jimmie’s Bar and spotted Nick necking in a booth with Christine Blair. Phyllis later arranged to meet Jack at Gloworm, and while she waited for him she was served a drink by their new bartender, Deacon. Jack walked in just as Phyllis slapped Deacon for trying to kiss her

Skye invested her gambling winnings by creating a hedge fund she called “The Newman Fund”, with the intention to become rich and get Adam back his good name. Adam’s pre-trial conspiracy hearing was held with him making Vance promise not to question Sharon’s credibility. Vance did not, but he brought up Ashley’s past mental breakdowns, and the Newman’s vendetta against Adam to win, and the evidence against Adam declared insufficient to take to trial. Richard Hightower’s young son, Justin, attended, and Victor assured his guardian that he would take care of Justin for the rest of his life. Victor gathered the Abbotts and Newmans together and very un-Victor-like, told them all to let it go, that karma would pay Adam back in the end. They each were served with a summons later for a civil suit for holding Adam against his will – all except Sharon. Michael met with Vance, called it frivolous, but Vance said they would accept nothing less than twenty million dollars in damages. Skye warned Adam that he was risking the success of their hedge fund by filing the lawsuit, and damaging their relationship by always favoring Sharon, reminding him that Sharon was never going to forgive him for stealing her baby Faith. Victor arranged a settlement meeting with Adam and his lawyer Vance. Victor persuaded them to drop the lawsuit against the Newmans when he presented Skye as his star witness saying that she was ready to testify that Adam planted the ring to fake Skye’s death and disclose that she knew all about Adam’s dirty dealings with Dr. Taylor, Sharon and Ashley. As they left, Skye warned Adam that she was in control, and not to screw her over again. Unfortunately, the Abbotts had legally separated their lawsuit from the Newman’s, so theirs was not settled.

After Victoria moved in with Billy, and because Adam would not stop pursuing Sharon, Nick asked Sharon to move back to their former house at the ranch. Phyllis and Nick divorced, and Nick began spending a lot of time with Sharon and their baby Faith.

In mid-October 2010, a storm was brewing, so Adam begged a ride home with Sharon and Faith from Crimson Lights. Hearing that a tornado was heading right for them, they got out of the car, got soaked, and took shelter in a barn. Adam made Faith a nest in the hay and covered her with his clothes to keep her warm. The tornado approached, shaking the barn. and causing the doors to fly open. Adam and Sharon struggled to hold the barn doors against the wind as Nick discovered Sharon’s car overturned. Once the doors were secured, the barn started breaking apart, and Adam dove to protect Faith as a beam fell from above. Sharon pulled off the debris and found Faith alive and well, thanks to Adam’s protection, but he was hurt. Nick showed up at the barn as Adam got to his feet, wincing from the pain in his leg.

Adam recovered, and with new determination to no longer be under Skye’s thumb, he packed a bag and withdrew $100,000 from the hedge fund, intending to take a bus and leave town. After Skye discovered Adam had taken the money she contacted Sharon and told her she’d better convince Adam not to leave town or Skye would report the theft to the police and send Adam back to jail. So Sharon convinced Adam not to leave, making him determined to get Skye out of his life and become a better man.

Once Phyllis and Nick’s divorce was final, Nick and Sharon became lovers again. After spending a few days alone with Sharon, Nick decided to move back into their former home with her. He asked Sharon to marry him again, giving her the engagement ring from the first time they were engaged in their teens, and she accepted. But after Sharon discovered a bracelet in her purse that she had apparently stolen from Fenmore’s, she began to have second thoughts. Sharon returned the bracelet to Lauren, and left town to think things over. Sharon ended up in New Orleans with Adam following her, Nick and Michael following him, and Phyllis following them. Sharon strolled the French Quarter, had her fortune told at Marie Laveau’s, and ran into Adam as she toured a cemetery. Sharon was swept away by Adam again as he romanced her with dinner at Oak Alley Plantation, where they ended up spending the night making love. Sharon was convinced that she was meant to be with Adam, until the next morning when they came upon a carousel that reminded her of Cassie. She told Adam that the night the spent together was just a fantasy, and that she belonged with Nick and their children. Then Nick and Michael arrived with a Marshall who took Adam into custody for questioning in the murder of Skye. When Nick discovered that Sharon was with Adam by choice, and was still defending Adam, he broke things off with her. After Nick heard that Adam and Sharon had spent the night together it only confirmed his decision.

Back in Genoa City the next day, Adam was questioned by Ronan Malloy, and Sharon was questioned as well, for a possible conspiracy to get rid of Skye so they could be together. Sharon believed in Adam’s innocence, so she hired Vance’s associate, Leslie Michaelson, to represent Adam. Noah, Michael, and Ashley couldn’t believe Sharon would do such a thing after what Adam had done to Sharon in the past, and Nick decided to sue for custody of Faith rather than his daughter being anywhere near Adam. And Nikki suggested Sharon protect her children by leaving town with Adam and never coming back. When they returned to the athletic club, Adam and Sharon were thrown out, so they rented a sleazy hotel room.

Phyllis published a cover story titled ‘Sharon Newman the Heroine Addict’, which exposed her penchant for always doing crazy things to mess up her life then needing to be rescued, the latest being her love for Adam who had deceived her, kidnapped her baby Faith, and told her that Faith was dead. Even Sharon’s son Noah had to agree that the story was pretty spot-on. Because Nick was concerned about Sharon’s lack of judgment, her being with Adam, and after her arrest for the murder of Adam’s wife Skye, Nick petitioned the court for sole custody of Faith, and won.

Nick ran into Diane Jenkins at the Athletic Club, they had dinner together, then he took her back to the ranch where they made love in front of the fireplace. But when Victor returned from his trip unexpectedly, Diane sneaked out the back door. Later Diane accepted a job from Victor as in-house architect for Newman, her first project to be the renovation of the ranch house. She also accepted Victor’s invitation for her and Kyle to move into the carriage house, and carried on with Nick after hours. But after Diane was caught by Victor too often at Nick’s, Nick told Diane he wanted to be just friends. Later the same evening, Diane and Victor became lovers again. But unable to resist Nick, she often returned to his bed as well. Victor spotted Diane necking with Nick, so Victor called her away to the Valentines benefit at Gloworm, where he presented a large donation to the puppy love fund and declared Diane the woman in his life while Nick, Nikki, and Deacon looked on. Meanwhile, across the room, Adam proposed to Sharon and she accepted. The next day, Diane apologized to Nick and informed him that she had been asked, but was going to refuse Victor's offer to move in. But Nick had seen Diane's true colors, and told her not to refuse on his account, so Diane accepted Victor's offer and moved in with him. Afterward, Christine who was in town, shared a beer and commiserated with Nick about people they trusted who had let them down.

After Victor later inexplicably posted Sharon's half-million dollar bail anonymously. Sharon realized she was in serious trouble after being confronted with a video taken by tourist at the volcano that night which included only the part of their conversation when she yelled at Sky and told her she would pay for setting up Adam for Skye’s supposed murder. Jack and Phyllis Then they found a guy who sold them a video showing a quick glance of Victor made a deal with Sharon and Adam to help clear her. Phyllis and Jack in Hawaii, discovered that the general store owner, Koa Aneko, had suddenly come into a lot of money and left the island. Then they found a guy who sold them a video showing Victor lurking in the shadows as Skye fell to her death. Then they found a guy who sold them a video showing a quick glance of Victor lurking in the shadows as Skye fell to her death. Once back home, Phyllis showed Nick the video, and Nick confronted Victor, calling him a damn liar, and Victor still claimed that he was not involved. Bad timing for Victor, as Nick then decided to join his sisters in their lawsuit against Victor for mismanaging their trusts. So Michael attempted to pressure Abby to drop out of the lawsuit while Victor worked on Nick. Victor told Nick that if they won their lawsuit, Victor would be forced to take Newman public, and they would only get a one time settlement with no future profits, and they would no longer be a part of the company. Victor threatened that their legacy to their children would be that they destroyed Newman as a family business, and that hundreds of people would lose their jobs because of the greed of his children. Desperate to make sure he did not lose the lawsuit, Victor made a deal with Adam. Adam was to claim that he had forged their new trust agreements during the time when Victor was supposedly dead and Adam had control of Newman. In exchange, Victor drew up a new trust agreement for Adam, and Victor guaranteed Adam that he would not be prosecuted for the forgery, and that Sharon would be freed from the murder charges.

Adam testified at the arbitration hearing, but Sharon later talked him into backing out of the deal. When Victor found out, he threatened to expose that Adam had been making it look like Skye was still alive in an attempt to clear Sharon. Then Nick talked Adam into leaving town instead to both avoid Victor, and to reunite Sharon with her daughter Faith.

The next day, Neil testified that when Adam was in charge at Newman, Neil had kept Adam from accessing anything that would have made the forgery possible. The judge awarded Abby, Victoria, and Nick five hundred million dollars each, and ordered Adam arrested for perjury. Victor left with Michael, demanding that he find a way to overrule the judge's decision. The Newman children left to celebrate, but found it difficult when they realized and felt guilty that the verdict had come down on their father's birthday. Victoria and Nick both went to Victor and tried to make amends, but were rebuffed. After Victor quickly married Diane, and a few more altercations with his father, Nick decided to join Victoria in acquiring and running Beauty of Nature.

Instead of accepting his children's settlement offer, Victor held a press conference to announce that he was taking Newman public. The Abbotts and Newmans, plus Tucker and Kay, watched the television at Victoria's house in shock, knowing that Victor had always promised that would never happen. Katherine was there, and denounced them for causing it, saying she was ashamed of them. Nikki just wanted it all to stop, and left too. Billy left for the press conference, and arrived in time to ask if Victor had done this rather than give his kids the settlement they were granted. Victor replied that he loved his kids, but they were influenced by some unsavory characters, and that he was saddened that they were not there to enjoy the new era of Newman.

In the end, Tucker fired Jack for not bringing him Beauty of Nature, as promised, Victoria and Nick were arranging to buy up stock, as were Jack and Ashley. Abby just wanted her settlement in cash, and Tucker asked Kay to buy stock with him to stop the kids from gaining control. Kay called it a scheme, said she was not a fool, and would have no part of it. Then Kay went to Victor offering to pool her funds with his so that none of them could seize control of Newman from him.

Adam tracked down Koa and left on a plane for Bangkok, Thailand where he found Koa in a beach bar. Adam couldn't trick Koa into telling him about the night that Skye died in Hawaii, nor could he after telling him who he really was and what he knew. So Adam paid the bartender to get Koa drunk, then Adam followed him to his hotel. After Koa passed out, Adam searched his room, and found a video of Skye's death. As he turned to leave Koa hit him over the head and knocked him out.

Adam awoke but the camera was missing, so he returned to the bar looking for Koa, and ran into Phyllis who followed him there and informed him that Sharon was back in jail and a warrant had been issued for his arrest for perjury. Adam explained what had happened with Koa, and they went back to Koa's room to look for clues and to wait for him to return. Finding a pair of weighted dice, Phyllis and Adam paid a bellman to find a crap game where Koa might show up, and he did. Koa told them that Skye had given him the dice as present, and he had sold Sharon's camera at a flea market. Adam and Phyllis tied Koa to the hotel room bed, and searched the flea market for the camera, which they found missing its memory chip. So they gave up, went back to the hotel to get Koa to testify at Sharon's trial, but he was gone.

Meanwhile Sharon's mother, Doris, visited Sharon in jail to tell her that she was through standing by her daughter, that she had hit rock bottom since falling for Adam. Sharon's murder trial began with the famous Vance Abrams as her attorney.

Adam returned to Genoa City where he testified about the video at Sharon's trial, but no one believed him, and Sharon refused a plea bargain. Phyllis stayed in Thailand and bought every memory chip she could find that would fit the camera. She returned with them to Genoa City where she enlisted Malcolm's help to try to find and retrieve the video from one of the erased memory chips.

Sharon was found guilty, but Adam arranged an elaborate escape for her from the courthouse. After subduing her guard in the restroom, Sharon escaped out the barred window which Adam had left cut for her. Using the fake ID, a car, clothes, and hair dye Adam supplied, Sharon stopped to see Doris, who tried to talk her into giving herself up. Then Sharon headed for Sedona, Arizona where she would eventually meet Adam. Meanwhile, Adam led Phyllis and Nick on a wild goose-chase in St. Maarten.

Sharon called Adam to let him know that she had arrived and was waiting for him at a hotel. But the more Sharon thought about her situation, she decided that everyone would be better off without her, and wrote apologetic goodbye notes to Adam, Noah and Faith, leaving them behind as she drove away. Later Sharon was carjacked by a man and a woman and left alone on the road. Later, the car wrecked out, the female occupant was killed and badly burned, and Sharon's ID was found nearby.

Adam got on a ferry to St. Barts, but got off leaving Phyllis and Nick while he went to Sedona to meet Sharon. Stranded together on a romantic island in a luxury hotel Nick and Phyllis made love while agreeing that it was very wrong.

Adam arrived at the motel in Sedona, found the notes that Sharon had left, and was disheartened to realize that she had run away. Meanwhile Sharon made it to a diner and bought a sandwich with her remaining money. Adam heard a radio broadcast announcing the accident and that fugitive Sharon Newman had been killed. Adam went to accident site, watched and cried to think that the love of his life was gone. Relatives and friends in Genoa City were horrified. Adam identified the burned body by his engagement ring, her body type, dyed hair color, and clothes.

Adam returned to Genoa City and broke the news to Doris, who gave him hell until he showed her the goodbye letters that Sharon had left, which convinced Doris that Sharon had really loved Adam. Doris told Adam that she would take care of the funeral and that he was not welcome. Victor flew to New York City to retrieve Noah. Jack and Billy gave the Newmans hell, accusing them of sitting back and letting Sharon become yet another victim of Victor as he tried to get even with Adam.

Meanwhile Sharon heard the news, and made it to a ranch in the New Mexico desert, where she spent the night in a barn. The owner, Veterinarian, Sam Gibson woke her up, and she told him her name was Sheri Coleman. Sam told her that she could stay and asked her to assist in birthing a lamb which Sharon named Fanny.

Noah and Doris planned a lovely funeral for Sharon, Nick gave a touching eulogy about her being the first love of his life and Sharon being together with her daughter Cassie now. Adam, who had been barred from the funeral, climbed up the church's arbors into the bell tower, and interrupted the service. He told everyone there how they contributed to the death of Sharon by how they treated her and to Victor that he didn't help her when she needed him. After the funeral, Phyllis confessed about her liaison with Nick and she and Jack broke up.

Doris asked Nick and Adam to help when Sharon's life insurance would not pay due to her suspected suicide, so they went to San Pueblo, New Mexico, to try to convince the authorities that Sharon's death was an accident. Afterward, Nick and Diane flew back home, while Adam waited for the forensic expert at the county fair where Sharon, Sam, and the young neighbor girl Piper Sheffield just happened to be. Sharon spotted Adam as he told the forensic expert how hard it was to get over her death, and the expert confirm that evidence showed that Sharon's "death" had been accidental. After Sharon left with Sam, Adam was approached by the man who had carjacked Sharon. He asked Adam if he was sure that the dead woman had been Sharon and not his missing wife. The man later showed up at the ranch looking for his wife, but did not get to see Sharon to recognize her. Nick and Diane made love in her room after they arrived back in Genoa City, but Nick let her know that it was just sex, and he still was not interested in furthering their relationship because he could not trust her.

Nick went to talk some sense into Billy when he left Victoria after they lost custody of Lucy, and found him living in his mobile home again, drunk and gambling on horse races. Billy said he was through with being an upstanding husband and offered to sell Restless Style back to Nick. Nick had papers drawn up and bought it back, then offered Phyllis the opportunity to work with him again, and she took the job. Their first article together was titled "Was Adam Newman's love the kiss of death for his fiancée?" It wasn't long before their proximity brought them back to being lovers.

Noah, Nick, Faith, and Doris met on a bridge to dump Sharon's ashes into a creek that she loved. Meanwhile Adam, still trying to clear Sharon's name, found the correct erased memory chip that once contained the video of Sharon attempting to save Skye. That same day, Sharon was recognized and arrested while attending a barn dance with Sam while hiding out in New Mexico. Sharon was extradited back to Genoa City, and her family was shocked to hear that she was still alive. One by one they visited her in jail, Nick told her she was selfish and washed his hands of her. Noah was at first resentful that she could abandon him and Faith, but Eden talked him into going to see his mother where they hugged and reconciled. Adam arrived, elated to see that his Sharon was alive, and let her know that he understood why she let them all think she was dead. But later when Adam returned he caught her and Sam in an embrace and realized that Sharon had not been faithful to him. Feeling betrayed, Adam threw the memory chip that would have vindicated Sharon into the creek with her ashes. Victor came to Sharon to help and verbally attacked Sam for trying to get something from them, but Sam was able to convince Victor that he had been the one to take Sharon in, and had fallen in love with her. Later after Sharon begged Adam for forgiveness, she sent Sam back home, but Victor asked him to stay.

In an attempt to foil Victor and escape her mounting number of enemies in Genoa City, Diane agreed to help Adam frame Victor for Diane's murder; meanwhile she would be alive and rich in Switzerland. Diane violated Phyllis's protective order against her and asked Nick to pay her to go away in honor of their past, to which Phyllis countered that it only proved she was a whore. After Diane received a message that the funds from Adam had been deposited in her Swiss bank account, she sent a text message to everyone who had threatened her to meet her at the footbridge in the park. The next morning, viewers saw those same people looking suspiciously like they had just killed someone. Meanwhile Diane's body floated face down in the stream in the park. Murphy went there to fish, discovered the dead body, and called the police. The autopsy results were that Diane had been hit over the head ten times with a blunt object, an impression of a Harvard ring was found on Diane's arm, and a small key was found in Diane's mouth.

Nick recalled meeting Diane, and her threatening him with bringing the Newman family to their knees. They struggled, and his phone fell to the ground calling Ashley and recording Nick threatening to kill Diane on her voicemail.

Ashley recalled meeting Diane, and how Diane taunted her about having sex with Tucker. Diane told her she was the worst mother ever for not believing her own daughter about Tucker's infidelity. Ashley knocked Diane to the ground, and lost her cell phone, saying, "I'm not finished with you", as Ashley followed her into the bushes. The next night Ashley went back to the park looking for her cell phone, and was surprised by Nick. They shared their experiences with Diane the night of her death, but did not find the phone which could get them both in a lot of trouble. Afterward, Nick began receiving calls from a blocked number playing back the recording of his threatening Diane. Nick informed Ashley that someone had found her phone and knew that the two of them had met Diane the night she was killed. Nick changed his cell number and still received the calls. Ashley received in the mail, a photograph of herself at the crime scene which was taken from the surveillance camera that was stolen from the park. Nick had the envelope analyzed and found DNA that was apparently Adam's.

One day Nick walked in on a heated conversation between Phyllis and Sharon's attorney, Avery Bailey Clark, and discovered that they were sisters. Phyllis explained to Nick that she had lied to everyone about her family so that she could forget them. Nick tried to talk Phyllis into getting to know Avery again, but Phyllis refused. Trying to get to know Avery himself, Nick got Avery to admit that while growing up Avery and Phyllis tuned out the drama of their parents by playing video games together; just as Nick and Phyllis had done when they had been together.

Ronan sent Phyllis a blackmail note, so she and Nick met him at a warehouse causing Phyllis and Nick to admit their secrets of meeting with Diane the night she died. Ronan took them in for questioning, but later let them go. Phyllis came on to Ronan, who seemed to be interested. Weeks later after catching Nick and Avery in an embrace, a jealous Phyllis called Ronan, and they had sex on her desk.

One evening, a text message was sent from Ronan's missing cell phone to all the Diane Jenkins murder suspects except Adam, telling them to meet him at a warehouse. The suspects gathered and the surveillance tape of everyone's encounter with Diane in the park began to play, revealing everyone's secrets from that fateful night. They hid the tape before Ronan arrived. Adam arrived at a pumpkin patch and surmised that Patty Williams had summoned him. Meanwhile, Genevieve's housekeeper, Myrna Murdock, who had been badly burned when Genevieve's house exploded, lay in the hospital covered in bandages except for a cat tattoo; the same tattoo as Patty Williams. Patty had apparently been posing as Myrna, had been tormenting the suspects with information she had gleaned from the stolen park surveillance tapes, and the explosion at the mansion had kept her from joining them at the warehouse.

Ricky Williams was hoping to use the photos he took of his sister Heather kissing Adam Newman to get a sensational story to work for Restless Style, but once he got to know Heather better he declined to sell the photos to Phyllis, and only gave them to Avery as a last resort to save Sharon with a mistrial. Although they ended up not having to use the photos, Phyllis stole them from the courtroom and put them up online with a sensational story about the A.D.A. fraternizing with a witness. Heather was fired as A.D.A. as a result. Ricky filed a lawsuit against Phyllis and Restless Style for using work without payment with Avery representing him, and Avery filed a criminal complaint for theft of evidence from an attorney in court. With her career ruined, Paul said goodbye to Heather, who left for New York City to stay with her mother, April, then Paul tore into Ricky for humiliating his sister.

Nick was livid with Phyllis for once again doing a sensational story without thinking of the collateral damage to other's lives. Phyllis reacted by having sex with Ronan at the police station, and Nick retaliated by having sex with Avery. Ronan received a phone call which played the voicemail of Nick threatening Diane. Phyllis went to warn Nick, and walked in on Nick and Avery, realizing they had obviously just had sex together. Phyllis had it out with Nick, whom she told to go to hell, and that she would never try to help him again. After Nick tried to get Ricky to drop his charges to help Phyllis, Nick and Phyllis made up once again, but agreed to remain just friends and colleagues. Nick confronted Avery about using him to get back at Phyllis. She later apologized to Nick for taking the opportunity to get back at Phyllis without considering the consequences to Nick. Nick forgave Avery, and they went to her room to make love.

It wasn't long before Nick discovered Phyllis writing a story that practically accused Nikki of murdering Diane Jenkins, but this time he fired her. Jack offered Billy a job at Jabot, but after Nick had just fired Phyllis, Billy and Victoria were successful in talking Nick into selling Restless Style back to Billy. Victoria and Nick decided to start a company of their own. But after Victor confessed to killing Diane Jenkins and was arrested, Nick agreed to go back to Newman Enterprises to keep Adam in line. Nick and Victoria concluded that Nikki had killed Diane and Victor was sacrificing himself for her. Victor had given Adam his blessing to head Newman in exchange for his testimony, so Adam began trying to bribe board members to elect him CEO. Nikki was drinking again and suddenly ran off to Las Vegas and married Deacon. Nick physically attacked Deacon for taking advantage of his mother at the athletic club bar. A Newman board member saw it all, guaranteeing Adam's election as CEO. After Victor pled guilty and was sentenced to 25 years to life, Adam convened a board meeting to decide the new Newman CEO. When Nick found out what Phyllis and Ronan were up to, he decided to join them in their quest for the real killer, giving them full access to the Newman jets and any funding that they needed. Tucker McCall held the deciding vote on the Newman board, and although both men tried to persuade him to vote for them, Tucker went with the Harvard graduate, and Adam was elected CEO of Newman.

On New Year's Eve 2011, Nick danced with his date Avery, but couldn't take his eyes off Phyllis who was dancing and necking with Ronan while watching Nick. After Phyllis took Ronan back to her place, Avery accused Nick of not being over Phyllis, saying that she had promised herself she would never be second best to Phyllis again, and called off their relationship. Meanwhile Ronan was accusing Phyllis of using him to taunt Nick, and left her alone at her penthouse. Nick arrived at the penthouse awhile later, their eyes locked, and he and Phyllis made passionate love.

After confronting Victor about his impending marriage to his former wife, Sharon, Nick quit his job at Newman. Nick approached Tucker about working for McCall, and Tucker hired him.

Ronan subpoenaed all the Diane Jenkins murder suspects, and he and the DA questioned them about the evidence that still did not add up after it was discovered that Nikki had killed Diane in self defense. When no one would confess to taking Deacon's stash of stolen evidence or having any knowledge of the embroidered pillows found in Diane's room, the DA arrested them all for obstruction of justice. But they were all released later that day. Patty Williams was later discovered to have been the missing link in the Diane Jenkins murder, all charges were dropped against all suspects, including Nikki, once Ronan was able to convince the DA that Nikki was not responsible. Deacon remained in jail. Patty was sent to a maximum security prison hospital.

Since Victor was cleared of Diane's murder and Victor's brief marriage to Sharon was explained to his satisfaction, Nick decided to return to work at Newman Enterprises instead of going to work for McCall.

Nick decided to reconcile with Phyllis, telling her that it was a mistake getting involved with Avery. Nick promised he would never abandon Phyllis again for Sharon or Avery or anyone, and was ready to make a 100% commitment.

After losing Beauty of Nature to Genevieve and Victoria agreed to become CEO, Victor offered Sharon a job at Newman developing a new organic cosmetics line. Sharon turned it down because she felt that it was not a good idea working with Nick, but Victor talked her into it. When Victor told Nick that they would be working together, Nick refused, saying he was not interested in going to war with his sister. Nick told Sharon that Newman was lucky to have her, to go ahead and take the job, but without him because he didn't want to ruin what he and Phyllis had again. But when the new line and Sharon's position came before the Newman board, the board saw no reason to restart something they had just sold, and nixed Sharon due to her scandalous reputation and lack of experience. Adam arrived late and gave insightful reasons for starting the new line, but the only way to keep the board from giving the line to Adam was for Nick to step in and offer to work with Sharon. Thanks to Adam's vote and some unscrupulous board member manipulation by Genevieve as a favor to Victor, the line was approved and Sharon was put in charge.

Both Jabot and Beauty of Nature became focused on getting an exclusive deal with Mitsukoshi, the largest department store chain in Japan, so Jill traveled to Japan. So did Cane, Victor and Genevieve. Nick and Sharon arrived, and Sharon met with Mr. Mitsukoshi himself and secured the exclusive rights for Newman even though they had no product yet, because of their prior relationship when she had been the Beauty of Nature spokesperson.

Once back in Genoa City, Nick and Sharon began working together on the new product line. Victor managed to secure a deal with Genevieve to buy back beauty of nature, but Nick and Sharon accused him of selling them out once they found out that Genevieve had become head of Newman Cosmetics, and she was their boss.

Nick surprised Phyllis by asking her to marry him again, and she surprised him with the news that she was pregnant. They began planning a small wedding with Avery as Phyllis' maid of honor and Noah as best man.

On Phyllis and Nick's wedding day, while family and friends awaited her arrival at Gloworm, Daisy visited Phyllis and offered to tell her about Ricky's plot to take her down. Phyllis rebuffed the offer, called Daisy names, and threw her out. Then Phyllis began to lose her baby, doubling up in pain, and calling for help. Daisy heard her from the hallway, considered her options, then walked away. When Phyllis did not show up for the wedding or answer her phones, Nick went home and found her in her wedding gown on the floor where she had lost their baby, and he took her to the hospital. The next day, Nick and Phyllis were married by Katherine at the penthouse with only their children, Summer, Daniel, Faith, and Noah in attendance. The next day Phyllis and Daniel discovered from the security guard that Daisy had heard Phyllis calling for help and walked away. Daisy denied it when confronted. Nick, Daniel, and Phyllis all began plotting to somehow get rid of Daisy. As it turned out, Ricky Williams had murdered Daisy. Then Paul had to shoot Ricky when he tried to kill Eden, and Ricky died when he fell through a window.

Among Ricky's belongings Christine found Phyllis' psychiatric file from Dr. Tim including the rental car receipt, and realized that Phyllis had been the driver of the car who run them down in 1994. She showed it to Paul, and Paul told Nina and Heather who were shocked. Roman and Michael found a copy of the receipt in Daisy's wallet, and verified that the VIN number matched the rental car used in the hit and run. Both Chris and Michael confronted Phyllis, who denied trying to kill them. Although the statute of limitations had run out, Christine remembered that she had been working on a federal case at the time, therefore Phyllis was arrested for attempted murder of a federal agent.

Avery offered to help Phyllis, who lied and told her that she was innocent. But Avery saw through her, using same evasions that their father had. Phyllis finally confessed to Nick, saying that it was a mistake which she regretted. Although Nick moved out at first, he moved back when Summer told him how they needed to stand by Phyllis.

Phyllis was arrested at Crimson Lights in front of her family. Avery offered a deal for aggravated battery with two years probation, but Christine refused to consider anything without prison time, and offered five years. Avery got Phyllis released on bail. Nick, Daniel, Summer, and Noah welcomed Phyllis home, ready to stand behind her, Nick being convinced that she had changed since then.

Phyllis wanted to write a Restless Style article to plead her case, but Billy fired her instead, explaining that the L.A. people would pull the plug on their TV show if she was not fired. They also wanted Phyllis on the next cover, and to be crucified in print and in the pilot show. After hearing about it, Nick slugged Billy, which was caught on tape.

Victor and Sharon eloped on the same day that Nikki and Jack were married, but Victor disappeared later that day, and Nikki left Jack to find Victor. With Tucker's help behind the scenes, Sharon arrived at the emergency Newman Board meeting, and citing a pertinent court decision, used Victor's proxy rights to take over the company as CEO. Nick and Victoria were livid, but they attended the press conference with stoic faces as Sharon announced that she was now in charge. Sharon called off the search for Victor being conducted by Newman security, and Tucker hired Genevieve to find Victor. Meanwhile Tucker made more plans to take over Newman in Victor's absence, buying up stock at falling prices and continuing to set Sharon up to fail by suggesting she fire Nick.

After a favorable interview became a hatchet job in the press, Sharon accused Nick, who called her a brat and she fired him. An emergency board meeting was held, and they voted to ask Sharon to step down, but Tucker exposed himself as her puppet master by suggesting that the board support the new CEO with their experience.

Sharon began stealing items from stores and people and put them in a marble-top box. She stole concert tickets from Summer's purse to add to her stash. Victoria found them, and she and Nick took Sharon to court to try to convince the judge to remove Sharon as CEO because of her mental instability. The judge made Victoria interim CEO, and gave Sharon 24 hours to go to Fairview and get clean bill of mental health to get her CEO position back. Meanwhile Victoria rehired Nick, and the board approved an agreement that she and Nick could not be fired without board approval. Newman stock began to climb, until Sharon was reinstated.

Phyllis confessed to Ronan that Tim had died in her apartment and that she and Kevin had moved the body to Tim's place. Ronan gave Phyllis an alibi saying that she was with him the night of Tim's death because they were having an affair. To keep Michael from telling Nick about the "affair", Phyllis told Nick everything, and he played along by later publicly slugging Ronan. But later Nick confronted Ronan asking why he would risk his career for Phyllis, and Ronan admitted he was in love with her. Summer reacted to news of the "affair" by spiking her drink with alcohol and vandalizing Ronan's car. Nick moved out and back to the former tack house at the ranch, and Summer left with him.

Meanwhile in L.A., several workers were injured and Victor was declared dead in an explosion. Billy returned to Genoa City and delivered the news during a news conference that Sharon had called. As news of Victor's death spread, Newman stock plummeted, family members began to grieve, and Phyllis consoled Nick. Tucker kept buying stock, expecting that he could get Sharon to step down, name him CEO, and Newman and its stock would then flourish. Jack approached Tucker to buy Beauty of Nature to bail himself out, and Tucker bought it. Sharon identified the burned body as Victor, although it wasn't him, convinced that Victor had set up his death. The family was livid to discover that Sharon had sent it to be cremated immediately. Sharon arranged a quickie memorial service and texted his friends and family members to be there. Tucker convinced Sharon to marry him and run Newman together.

Victor suddenly returned from L.A. where he had ended up after being thrown from his horse and without his memory since his and Sharon's wedding night, finding Nikki weeping at his grave, and they reunited. Afterward, Victor walked in on the wedding of Sharon and Tucker, stopped it, and told her to get her things out of his house. Victor's friends and family were thrilled to see him, and he held a press conference to assure the world that he was alive and back as CEO and chairman of the board of Newman.

After Phyllis' case was dismissed on a technicality, Nick told Phyllis he was filing for divorce and Ronan that he could have her. Nick then fell into Avery's consoling arms and they kissed.

Because Sharon had sold a lot of Victor's shares while she was in control of Newman, Victor returned to find the company ripe for hostile takeover. Victor came to Adam asking for his support, but instead Adam gave his support to Jack, who with Tucker's shares was able to take over Newman. Jack fired Victor, Nick and Victoria. After Victor collapsed and was hospitalized, and the ranch house burned down, Victor announced that he and Nikki were getting married for the last time, they were rebuilding the ranch house, and he had decided not to fight for Newman, but to leave it up to his kids to do. Abby offered Jack $500 million to return the company to the Newmans, Jack turned it down, but she became determined to get the company back for her dad. Nick refused to fight and Victor said he expected more of Nick than to give up. Phyllis told Nick about her job offer from Jack, offering to spy for Nick to get Newman back. Nick told her he didn't want Newman back, and to move on with her life. Phyllis finally realized it was over, and there would be no more second chances from Nick.

Known to be quite a klutz, Avery proved to be as proficient in the kitchen as she was in the courtroom, as she cooked for Nick and they enjoyed each other at her apartment rather than appear in public together before Nick's divorce was final. Avery also used "cooking therapy" to get close to Summer who was acting out in retaliation toward Phyllis. Nick and Avery began spending more and more time together and ended up making love again. Knowing Nick was at loose ends about his future, Avery found a basement bar that was for sale, and encouraged Nick to think about turning into an upscale place and running it. Nick surprised her by buying it, starting renovations, and naming it The Underground, intending to run it with Noah. Avery opened up to Nick that she had ruined her marriage by having an affair with a man named Dylan who had died while deployed in Afghanistan. Nick later found dog tags for Dylan McAvoy in a jar in Avery's kitchen. Nick took Avery out for New Year's Eve to his finished club where they celebrated in Avery's personal booth. Opening night for Nick's club bombed when they lost power and had to send the underwhelming number of customers home. Avery hired Tyler Michaelson to do some better marketing for the club and another opening was planned. Prior to opening night, a man walked into the club calling himself Mack. Telling Nick he was a contractor, Mack had heard that Nick needed help with some troublesome wiring. Nick asked him if he'd ever done any bartending, and hired Mack to help out at least on opening night.

On opening night, Avery went to the back, recognized Mac as Dylan and cried, "You died, is this real?" Interrupted by Nick, she told Dylan that she needed to be there for Nick, and they would talk later. The next morning Avery showed up at Dylan's motel and slapped him, asking how dare he come back like that, with no warning? Dylan said he had been injured, returned to Chicago to find her, then found her through the Innocence Foundation, and saw a photo of her and Nick. Dylan claimed he didn't want to mess things up, but just wanted to see her, asked if he should go, and if she loved Nick. Avery left, and told Nick the truth about Dylan.

Valentine's Day evening, Avery was stuck at home during a major winter snowstorm, and Nick at the bar. Dylan showed up at her apartment, they reminisced, the power went out, and they kissed in the dark. Nick showed up. Avery tearfully told Dylan goodbye, that she had moved on, and was in love with Nick. Dylan packed and left in his truck on the icy roads, intending to return to Chicago. But Nick's former wife Sharon's car slid on the ice, running Dylan's truck off the road, and he hit a tree, leaving him unconscious. Sharon called for help, and Dylan was diagnosed with a concussion and bruised ribs. Dylan went to thank Sharon the next day and found her place with storm damage and her unable to find anyone available to make repairs. Dylan offered his services, and Sharon accepted.

About to drive to Milwaukee, Avery's brakes went out, and Dylan and Nick rescued her. Dylan said that the brake line had been cut. Avery returned home to find her apartment had been trashed, Gus's trial transcripts were missing, and she found an American flag pin on the floor. Nick accused Congressman Wheeler, who denied it, so Nick went to Victor for information about Wheeler. After a hitman tried to kill Victor at his and Nikki's wedding, the apparent suspect was Wheeler. Victor and Jack teamed up to expose Wheeler for both the murder and the hit on Victor, and he was arrested.

Nick closed down the club and set it up for a candlelit proposal to Avery. She declined, being afraid of screwing up a marriage again. But after talking with Dylan, Avery said yes to Nick. Nick told Noah, who was unenthusiastic, saying he thought Nick was afraid that Dylan would take her away from him. Unpon hearing of their engagement, Dylan finally gave up on Avery and sold his engagement ring to repay her for the bail money. After Avery failed at babysitting with Faith, and Nick tried to convince her that she would be an amazing mother to Faith and to their own kids, she left upset. Avery met Dylan at Crimson Lights, he repaid her the bail money, and said goodbye. Avery begged Dylan not to leave town, but he said that he could not stay and watch her marry Nick. Nick walked in and caught them in an embrace.

Avery, unable to convince Nick that she was over Dylan, returned her engagement ring. But after Dylan convinced Nick that he was crazy to let Avery get away, Nick made up with Avery.

After Nick overheard Summer confiding in Avery about wanting Kyle to be her first sexual experience, he went ballistic on Kyle. As Summer told her mother how Nick over-reacts to the very idea of her and Kyle, Nick pulled Summer's paternity results from a locked box, showing viewers that it had been marked "cannot be verified" due to a damaged sample. But after Kyle and Summer appeared to be getting closer, Nick arranged a paternity test. Later Sharon overheard Nick explain over Cassie's grave that he had lied about the results because he feared losing another daughter. When they realized that Summer was experiencing some of the same things that had led to Cassie's death, Nick, Sharon, and Phyllis had a heart to heart with Summer. They explained to her, with the help of an email from Daniel, how alcohol and obsession with an older boy had not only led to Cassie's death and broke up her parents marriage, but haunted Daniel to this day, and affected Lily as well when she was sent away to boarding school.

Then following a heart to heart with Phyllis about both of their commitment issues, Nick announced at a family gathering that he and Avery were going to be married, and Phyllis returned to Jack. Nick and Avery later set a wedding date for August. Soon after, Nick received the results of the paternity test, which stated that he and Summer were not related. He broke the news to Phyllis who flipped out over being betrayed for 18 years, calling him selfish not only toward her, but for denying Jack his daughter's childhood. When the ramifications dawned on her, she tracked down Summer whom she knew was trying to get Kyle to have sex with her that night. It turned out that they had dinner together, but nothing more.

Phyllis and Nick met with Summer and Jack to break the news of Summer's paternity. When Nick started harping on Summer's relationship with Kyle, Summer got upset and went to her room. Then Nick chickened out and left. Phyllis covered for Nick with Jack, then went home and told Nick she hated him for doing this to them. After discussing the options, Phyllis agreed to wait and sleep on how to do it. But everything she might do would be for her daughter, and she would never forgive Nick, reminding him that neither would Summer or Jack. To give Nick some time, Phyllis left to attend a focus group on eyeliner in Chicago, taking Kyle with her to keep them apart. Phyllis came on to Kyle, and after one kiss, Kyle called things off with Summer.

Avery pressured Nick to tell her what was troubling him, and when he refused, she broke it off, accusing him of not trusting her enough to marry her. So Nick told Avery the secret, that he was not Summer's father. Phyllis walked in, and Avery turned on her, sure that Phyllis had mislead Nick all these years. But Nick explained that he had withheld the results of a paternity test from Phyllis.

The next day, Summer said goodbye to Faith, texted Kyle, and ran away to Chicago. Phyllis and Nick decided the time to tell her the truth had come, and Nick found Summer at a modeling agency in Chicago. Meanwhile Phyllis was confronted by Jack who had overheard Kyle and Abby discussing the kiss between Kyle and Phyllis. After the others had left, Phyllis explained to Jack that she was just trying to break them up, then went on to tell him why by breaking the news that Jack was Summer's father. In Chicago, Nick was telling Summer the same. Jack was moved to tears, remembering how he had delivered Summer and watched her grow up from afar. Phyllis admitted that she had only known for a month, and had been waiting for the right time, afraid it would send him into a relapse. Although Phyllis begged to stay, Jack threw her out. In Chicago, Summer took it hard, then realized it meant that she and Kyle were half brother and sister. As Jack reached for a drink, the spirit of John Abbott kept Jack from relapsing into addiction. In Chicago, Summer refused to go home with Nick, so he left when Phyllis arrived.

Back in Genoa City, Nick admitted what he had done to Victor, who reacted thinking only of himself, lamenting that now that his granddaughter Summer was an Abbott, he had been bested by Jack again. Nick told Sharon, who said that she understood, and would always be there for him.

Meanwhile Kyle arranged to get Billy's club after hours, invited Summer, and gave her an armload of yellow roses, begging her to start over. Summer had to be the one to tearfully tell Kyle that they were brother and sister. Kyle walked out upset, unable to deal with it.

Nick went to see Jack who punched Nick after Nick said that he was sorry. Jack yelled at Nick that he not only stolen Jack's time with Summer, but he had stolen Summer's past, and he hoped that maybe there was hope for a future between Jack and Summer.

Next Summer went to Jack and they both tearfully exchanged their feelings of how much they had always cared for each other, and hope for a future as father and daughter.

The more Avery thought about Dylan, how he had done the best he could under the worst of circumstances, just as Nick had when he claimed Summer as his own to sooth his aching soul after the loss of Cassie. Avery went to Nick, told him she still loved him, and forgave him.

A few days later, Nick and Avery found Phyllis unconscious at the bottom of a stairwell during the MS gala. Later at the hospital, Phyllis was still unconscious when Dr. Costner informed Jack, Nick, and Avery that Phyllis had a blood clot pressing on her brain requiring surgery. The surgery was performed, and was successful. Daniel was notified in Europe and said he was on his way home. Nick finally found Summer hiding out at the penthouse, and had to tell her that her mother needed her at her side to help her fight for her life. Daniel arrived too late. While Summer, Avery, and Jack were content to sit by her side and wait months or years for her to wake up, Daniel did some research and found a facility on an island off the coast of Georgia where the best neurologists were having some success reviving coma patients. All were adamantly against it until Daniel convinced Michael, Lauren, and Summer who convinced Jack and Nick, then Nick convinced Avery to allow Daniel to take her there to give her the best shot at recovery. But while playing fairy princess with Faith, Summer discovered that Sharon wore the same lipstick that was found by the police in the stairwell after Phyllis' fall, and Nick wondered if maybe someone may have been there with her when she fell.

Avery returned dejected from seeing Phyllis put into the facility, and urged Nick to go ahead with their wedding after all. Noah and Summer agreed to stand up for them. When Faith was asked to be their flower girl, she reacted badly saying that she would not, nor was Nick going to marry anyone but her mother, then tore up Avery's wedding planning photos. Sharon was crushed when Nick requested that Sharon help him make Faith understand that her father and mother would never get back together again. Sharon became all the more determined to stop their wedding when Avery dropped by and told Sharon to back off and stay the hell away from her fiancé. Nick and Avery made plans to be married in the newly renamed Chancellor Park. In an attempt to guilt Nick into postponing his marriage, Sharon made sure that Nick found a drawing by Faith in which Avery was scribbled out. Avery found the drawing which upset her even further after hearing that Dylan had just discovered that he was not the father of Chelsea's baby, and that she had lied to him throughout her pregnancy. Avery left Nick's and began to try to contact Dylan without success.

Avery and Nick's wedding day arrived, but Avery did not. The guests left Chancellor Park, leaving Nick alone. Avery finally arrived explaining that she had found Dylan sitting on the floor in the hallway outside her apartment just as she had been about to leave, and that she could not have walked away and left him there. Deciding that it had become increasingly clear that Avery was still too emotionally involved with Dylan, Nick broke up with her, and left her standing there in her wedding gown as it began to rain. Sharon was only too happy to console Nick later. Later Nick rejected Sharon's help and her admission that she still loved him and wanted to reconcile, and told her that he was not interested. Sharon admitted that she needed psychological help. She changed doctors and medications, and convinced Nick that she was getting her life back in order.

Nikki set up a family dinner at the Genoa City Athletic Club, and they all were intrigued about the purpose. Nikki was setting up a revelation by telling how Katherine had been involved, when Dylan and Avery arrived for a romantic dinner. Nick overreacted by accusing Dylan of following him around and throwing his relationship with Avery in his face. They got in a fist fight, and the other Newmans crowded around in an attempt to break them up. Nikki finally was able to do so by shocking them all by shouting that Dylan was her son. Dylan told her that could not be, that Terry and Penny McAvoy were his parents. Nikki explained that Penny had adopted him as a baby in an attempt to hang onto his father who had never found out. Dylan refused to believe it, and left with Avery. Victor reacted by fearing for her mental health, then as he became convinced, he accused her of not trusting him. Victoria was very understanding, but Nick left in a snit with his father.

Nick refused to attend Thanksgiving at his parents, and ended up with Sharon and Faith instead. Sharon asked Nick to be understanding of his mother, as he was with her similar experience of telling him about Cassie's existence. Dylan requested a DNA test, and it proved that he was Nikki's son. After continual encounters, Nick offered Dylan a deal to both do nothing that would hurt their mother. And later Avery pleaded with Nick to make peace with Dylan for his mother's sake.

Nick was spending more and more time with Sharon, and they even kissed, but told each other it was not right, that they were just friends. Faith's Christmas wish was to spend it with her parents, so Nick went over to Sharon's on Christmas Eve and put together a 500-piece dollhouse kit. Caught by Faith, they told her that Santa's elves were too busy, so Nick was just helping them out. Nick and Sharon's New Year's Eve kiss became very passionate, and they couldn't seem to forget it.

One wintry night after Billy had been acting strangely and had not come home, Victoria worried to Nick. Nick discovered that Billy's gun was missing, and when he went to the police station was told that there was proof that Adam had been the hit and run driver who killed Delia. Putting together the things that Billy had said, they realized that Billy knew and had gone after Adam. Later Nick arrived at Victoria's, and told her and Chloe how he and Paul had found Adam's SUV upside-down in a ravine, that one man had escaped and disappeared, but the SUV had exploded after they had failed to get the second man out. Chloe left, hoping that Adam had burned to death as he deserved. Victoria was left alone to hope that Billy was the survivor and be found. Hours later there came a noise at the door, she found Billy in a heap at the front door, and was relieved to pull him inside.

Days later Nick and Victoria overheard Jack and Victor arguing, and realized that their father had known that Adam was the hit and run driver, and had been blackmailing Adam. Victoria once again washed her hands of Victor, and Nick walked out.

Concerned about their mother and the fact that she had not told Victor about Ian Ward being in town, Dylan and Nick decided to unite to get Ian to leave. When Faith identified a photo of Ian Ward as Summer's new friend, Nick and Dylan went looking for him. Finding him taunting Nikki, Nick socked Ian in the eye. Paul arrived and arrested Ian for extorting money from Nikki to leave town. Nikki was pleased to see that in coming to her rescue together, Nick and Dylan were on the way to becoming friends.

Sharon had stopped having hallucinations of getting advice from Cassie once she got back on her meds and began to see her new doctor, Dr. Mead. But she confided in Nick when she started seeing Cassie again, and that she had actually touched and felt her. Nick spent the night on the couch and they reminisced about the past and their first wedding. Becoming close again in the days that followed, Nick and Sharon made love. Afterward, Sharon went downstairs and saw and touched Cassie again. When Nick found her, Sharon told Nick she was convinced that Cassie was not dead, and Nick took Sharon to the hospital where she agreed to the electro-convulsive therapy. Sharon awoke with no memory of why she was there and Nick proclaiming his love. Most of her memories returned, but she conveniently had lost those about Summer's paternity or Phyllis falling down the stairs and being in a coma. Sharon was allowed to go home, but her doctor suggested someone be there with her, to which Nick volunteered. Nick admitted that he had fallen in love with her again, but that he was afraid their lovemaking would bring back her hallucinations.

Victor threw an engagement party for Abby and Tyler at Newman Ranch, and all the Newmans and Abbotts were in attendance and remarkably friendly. As he was leaving, Nick caught the Cassie lookalike peering in the window at them. Scared, she ran off, packed her bag, and was about to leave, but found Nick at her door, "What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost," Nick quipped. Nick asked who she was, and why she looked like Cassie. The girl refused to talk. Nick then found family photos of Cassie in envelope. He accused her of haunting Sharon, and got her to admit that Victor was behind it. Sharon arrived home to find Nick there with the Cassie lookalike and freaked. Nick explained that she was real, not another hallucination, and what Victor had done. Victor arrived, and fearing him, the girl tried to leave, but Sharon begged her to stay. Victor tried to justify what he had done, saying that Sharon had gone over the edge long before he did this, and that she had a secret that would turn Nick against her. Nick yelled for Victor to get out of his life. As Victor left, he warned Nick that defending that lunatic Sharon would destroy him. Sharon refused to press charges against the girl. The next day, Sharon's doctor verified that she did have a secret, but that Sharon had never told her what it was. Nick told Sharon that he loved her and whatever it was, it would not matter.

Nick went looking for Victor, but finding only Nikki at home, Nick told her that Victor had been gas-lighting Sharon for months. Nikki responded with disbelief that he would use his granddaughter's memory to torture Sharon in a heinous way. Victor arrived, and Nick confronted him. Victor claimed to be protecting him from Sharon. Nick yelled, "You are not my father. I no longer have a father," and left.

After Mariah was extradited to Portland for burglary charges, Nick was upset that Sharon felt the need to go there and help her. Sharon explained that she knew she was not Cassie, but related to Mariah since she had grown up under similar conditions. Sharon went to Portland, got the charges dropped, and brought Mariah back to Genoa City. Sharon got Nick to begrudgingly give Mariah a job tending bar at his club, The Underground, and Sharon paid the rent at her apartment. Mariah informed them that it was only temporary, until she could pay Sharon back. Sharon got Nick to begrudgingly give Mariah a job tending bar at his club, The Underground, and Sharon paid the rent at her apartment. Nick asked Noah to return and train Mariah, but he was resentful of her and tested her by leaving his wallet on the bar. Mariah passed the test until Abby took it, emptied it, and stashed it in the ladies room, setting up Mariah. But when the police showed up, and Noah found out what Abby had done, he confessed all. Mariah got upset and quit. Sharon told Nick, Noah and Abby that she was very disappointed in them.

Nick was notified that Summer had apparently run off with fugitive Austin Travers. Summer texted Nick and Jack who were together, "I'm all right. I know what I am doing. Love you both." They tried to track her cell, but she had turned off the GPS. They contacted the police, telling them that Summer was with Austin but not involved. Jack and Nick were sure that the fugitives must be heading for Canada. Later that day, Summer was found at a hotel near the border. As Summer was talking with Nick by phone, Austin was turning himself in, in Genoa City.

Sharon asked Nick to move back in, and he accepted.

Sharon convinced Nick to apologize and hire Mariah back. Nick did, but made her agree to give up a portion of her paycheck until her debt to Sharon is paid, then to leave town. He also suggested she stop with the attitude which provoked people, and to make up with Noah.

Later Victor overheard Mariah telling Ian that their plan was not going to work, and Nick saw Ian leaving Mariah's apartment. Nick asked Mariah what her connection with Ian was, and she told how she had know him since she was a kid, and he was the only father she had ever known. Nick warned Mariah that Ian had gone to prison for fraud and had prayed on both his mother and his daughter. Nick then accused Victor of knowing Mariah was connected to Ian when he hired her. Victor assured him that he had only discovered it the day before, and they agreed to work together, finding out more about them both.

Playing with Faith, Nick drew a 4th of July wedding with him and Sharon. Finding it later, Sharon said they were never getting married again, that she would only cause him more pain. Nick got down on one knee and asked her to NOT marry him, and Sharon said, "I won't".

Mariah told Nick and Sharon that her room had been broken into again, and she was afraid. Sharon asked why she had not gone to Ian. Mariah said she had promised Nick that she would stay away from Ian. Sharon invited her to stay with them, and Nick surprisingly offered to help her get her things. Mariah declined his help, and returned to get them. Nick then called Victor, telling him that he had found Ian's weakness in Mariah.

Nick found out that Summer had gone on the run with Austin Travers who was wanted for abduction and the accidental shooting of Paul Williams, then later they returned married and Austin turned himself in. Nick was disappointed, but since Summer was of age, he accepted it. While Jack spoke to D.A. Christine to arrange for Summer to be arrested for fraud.

Summer decided they should be officially married in a church and invited Noah and Courtney to stand up for them. Sharon said she felt she owed it to Phyllis and helped Summer get ready, and Faith was the flower girl. Sharon convinced Nick to walk Summer down the aisle, but Jack arrived, and they began again with both Jack and Nick walking her down the aisle, and Summer and Austin were married again. Detective Harding arrived to arrest Austin for fraud, but Jack talked him out of it with everyone swearing the couple loved each other and no fraud was being committed.

Nick caught Mariah on her phone angrily refusing to give her mother money, and he reminded her that she had told Sharon that her mother was dead. Cassie told Nick how her mother never loved her, was never there for her when she needed her, so she was dead to her. When Nick asked, Mariah told him that her mother Helen was a nurse in Kentucky, last she heard. Nick tracked down Helen Copeland, and she showed up at his bar. Nick lectured her on child abandonment, to which Helen responded that she did not want Mariah, it had been all Ian's idea. Afterward Helen met Ian in the park. Nick watched, listening, as Ian told Helen not to interfere in Mariah's life. Helen told him that Nick had a lot of questions about Mariah and the two of them, but that Nick had "no idea who Mariah really is."

Nick called Grace Turner, telling her that he needed her help and was sending the Newman jet for her. Later, Nick arrived at Grace's room at the GCAC to find her wearing only a teddy. Nick set her straight, that it was not a booty call, he just needed some information that only she might know. Nick shocked Grace with photos of Mariah and asked Grace to tell him about the day Cassie was born. Grace recalled that Cassie had been born in a hospital, and there had been a nurse named Helen who had kept Doris and Grace out of the delivery room so that no one had ever seen the baby. Nick followed up in Madison with Sharon's former doctor, Dr. Hill, and got him to admit that Sharon had had twins, the second one being Mariah, who had been sold by Helen to cover the former doctor's gambling debts. Nick turned him over to the FBI. Nick arrived home to find that Sharon had kicked Mariah out of the house for attempting to seduce Nick. Nick was able to convince Sharon that Mariah was actually her daughter, and Sharon became desperate to find her. Ian called Sharon demanding a ransom in millions equal to Mariah's age, and the police took over the drop.

Nick shocked Victor and Nikki by telling them that he had discovered that that Sharon had unknowingly had twins, and that Mariah was actually Cassie's twin, but Mariah had been sold by the doctor to Ian Ward who had raised her. Telling them that Ian had abducted Mariah, Nick asked Victor for his help in tracking Ian down. Victor had to leave town, but his security team found that Ian leased a storage unit, and Nick, Sharon, and Dylan found a drugged Mariah there dressed in a wedding gown.

Later in the hospital, Nick and Sharon explained to Mariah how he had discovered that she had been born Cassie's twin and Sharon's daughter. Mariah finally believed it, but refused to forgive Sharon for kicking her out, and refused to become part of their family. Nick was able to assure Mariah that the marriage to Ian would be invalidated and talked her into staying in town at least.

Nick surprised Sharon by turning Crimson Lights into a replica of their college freshman Polynesian tiki dance where they had been the king and queen. Reminding her that this was the place they had fallen in love, Nick proposed again, and Sharon said yes. Nick presented her with her original engagement ring with its new larger diamond. They quickly made plans for a wedding with Noah as best man, Summer and Mariah as bridesmaids, and Faith as flower girl. Impromptu bachelor and bachelorette parties converged in a bar, a fight broke out when a guy recognized Michael as the D.A. who convicted him, and they all spent the night in jail. Just before Sharon and Nick were pronounced man and wife, everyone was shocked when Phyllis interrupted the wedding, walked down the aisle, was embraced by Summer, and collapsed. Afraid that she was going to expose her big secret, Sharon ran off, and the wedding was not completed. It turned out that Phyllis had woken up from her coma, stolen a nurse's scrubs, and hitchhiked home from the Georgia hospital.

Nick was livid after discovering that Victor had been responsible for Phyllis' recovery, putting her on an experimental drug by tricking Summer into signing consent forms. But Victor gloated that he had managed to do what Jack could not, expecting everyone to thank him. Phyllis' memories were still confused, and she could not come up with the secret for Sharon, Nick, or Victor.

Nick made an appointment with the justice of the peace for Halloween to complete their wedding vows. Mariah had a change of heart after being reminded that Sharon was the only one who had ever believed in her, and took Faith trick or treating after a happy family photo session.

Victor showed the new DNA results he had gotten to Nick which proved that Summer was his daughter after all. Victor, Nick, and Jack went to locate Sharon, finding her in the same stairwell where Phyllis had taken her fall. Phyllis was restraining Sharon by the arm demanding that she remember the secret that Phyllis had known. Jack and Nick were shocked as Sharon was forced to confess that she had tampered with the paternity test, that Nick was actually Summer's biological father, and that she had left Phyllis for dead at the bottom of the stairs. Nick refused to listen to Sharon's excuses and told her they were not getting married, and to just stay away from him.

When Nick showed up to pick up his things, Sharon begged Nick not to move out, to stay and help her, claiming that it was her illness that made her do those things. Nick said that what she had done was unforgivable, she had lied to him, made everyone think he was a liar, and had broken his daughter's heart, plus being responsible for Phyllis losing a year of her life. Nick moved back into the tack house, and took off his wedding ring. Summer having been told the truth by Jack, showed up and they hugged. Nick later asked Avery to get him full custody of Faith, that Sharon could not be trusted with her. Sharon hired David Sherman to represent her, the only lawyer in town who was willing to take on the Newmans.

Later at The Underground, Noah told Nick he thought he was being unfair, that he had told Sharon he would forgive her no matter what. Nick said Sharon had gone too far, wrecked too many lives by changing Summer's paternity results. Noah reminded Nick that Nick was the one who set it in motion by not revealing the results of the first test or taking another. Later after hours, Grace came onto Nick, and Nick revealed what Sharon had done. Pouring drinks for them, Nick told Grace that he was done with Sharon this time. Grace kissed him, they tore off each other's clothes, and made out in a booth. But Nick stopped, and told her to leave, that he was finally breaking the pattern, and needed to go away to think about what to do with his life.

Nick arrived at a cabin in the woods, a dog followed him inside, and he proceeded to get drunk. After passing out, Nick was visited by his past loves, Amy Wilson, Grace, Sharon, Phyllis, and Avery. They put him on trial, accusing him of breaking their hearts. Nick accused Sharon of never trusting him, always keeping secrets, her many betrayals, and that her being sorry would not fix it this time. Before Nick awoke, he swore off all woman. Nick followed the dog, hoping to find its home, but fell into the snow in pain, his foot caught in a bear trap which he could not open. Going in and out of consciousness, Nick saw a woman who had found him, and a man who had opened the trap. As the ambulance arrived, they both disappeared into the woods. Nick returned home on crutches, then went back to the woods to find and thank the people who saved his life. But an older woman at the only house nearby said she did not know who they could have been. But only days later, the woman who had saved him walked into The Underground looking for a restaurant, and Nick recognized her. Nick eventually learned that her name was Sage, and the elderly woman was Constance, her guardian who had raised Sage after her parents had died. Sage received a call that Constance was near death, and Nick came to Sage's rescue, providing her with a ride.

Faith became resentful that her parents were fighting over her and wanted them to remarry for Christmas, so she ran away, but was found at Crimson Lights by Dylan. The judge cancelled the custody hearing and ordered mediation instead. Sharon and Nick arrived early and were able to work out a joint custody agreement which Sharon's lawyer dismissed, they fought, and were sent back to court again.

At the athletic club, Nick recognized Gabriel Bingham, "The Binger" and "Bingo", the boy who had been assigned to Nick to be a "big brother" to when he had attended the Swiss boarding school, Mount Bell Academy. Nick later realized that Gabriel was also the guy in the woods who had helped with the trap and wondered why he would have run off. After Nick read Gabriel's grandmother Constance's obituary, he delivered an armload of flowers to Sage. With Gabe, they talked about life at boarding school. Explaining that he had returned home before it played out, Nick asked about the outcome of the Juliet situation. Gabe faltered saying that his grandmother had bailed him out with that girl. Nick reminded him that Juliet was their headmaster's sailboat, and told Sage how Gabe had rescued it, then at full speed had crashed and destroyed it. Gabe said that it was something he preferred to forget. Nick looked up the incident online and discovered that Gabriel had been expelled because of it. Gabe and Sage explained that Constance had kept the expulsion quiet by paying for the boat, no charges were filed, and she had gotten him into another boarding school. Sage admitted to Nick that she and Gabriel had a marriage of convenience in which they were free to find real love.

Faith's custody trial was held and Nick got full custody after it became evident to the judge that Sharon had primed Faith with a story about finding Sage at Nick's with no pants on, and Sharon lost control of herself in court. Nick took Faith home, but had to call Sharon over to help after Faith woke up from a nightmare.

Summer was there when a building inspector came by the Underground saying he had been there three times about the building's structural problems, had left word with Austin for Nick to call, and was threatening to close it down. Summer finally dragged Austin over to Nick's to tell him. Austin claimed it had slipped his mind while he was working on his "real job" for Joe. Nick was furious, reminding Austin that he had hired him when no one else would, and so long as Nick was paying him, bartending was his real job. Nick called a repairman to fix things immediately, left Summer to babysit with Faith, and met him there. Austin was upset with Summer for not defending him, but Summer agreed with Nick, that Austin had messed up, so they fought. Nick returned, told Austin he would not fire him, but his negligence was inexcusable. Austin was angered, quit his job, and walked out.

With Mariah and Noah both attending a party, Nick was left short-handed for Valentines evening. He got Sharon to take Faith, and Sage pulled on a T-shirt and helped him behind the bar. Just before the power went out, viewers saw the ceiling cracking and coming apart. As Nick and Sage turned the power back on in the mechanical room, the ceiling of the club caved in, trapping them inside. Sage lamented that she had waited her whole life for something to begin, and now it may be the end. They agreed they wanted to get to know each other better after they got out, and kissed. Dylan broke through the door and rescued Nick and Sage. Finding the main club completely buried in rubble, they took Sage to the triage at Crimson Lights, where Sage was taken to the hospital to get a catscan for the bump on the head. Nick and Dylan went back to continue searching for Nikki, Victor, Jack and Phyllis. While they pulled Nikki and Phyllis out to safety, the snow-weighted roof collapsed too. When Nick returned to the spot where Victor and Jack were last seen, they found a dead body who turned out to be Derek, a part time bartender. They finally found Jack alive in bad shape, but no sign of Victor. While the pros searched for Victor, Nick, Abby, and Victoria took Nikki home. They were shocked when Nikki threw down a glass of vodka in front of them. A disheveled Victor walked in, said, "Pour me one," drank it and said he was fine, then collapsed. Suffering a concussion, Victor was put in the same room with Jack, they argued, and Victor reminded him that he had saved his life. Nick felt guilty that his place had caused so much pain, and a death. But Sage reminded him that he had done everything he could to prevent it and rescue the victims. Avery later found out that the contractor who had made the repairs had a reputation for cutting corners, so she felt that Nick would be exonerated.